Burn ban in effect for San Mateo, Santa Cruz counties

Cal Fire’s San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit announced a ban on all outdoor burning starting Tuesday.

The ban affects all state-owned and Cal Fire contract areas within San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. All campfires, open pit fires, open pit cooking fires, warming fires and ceremonial burns are prohibited, according to Cal Fire.

An exception will be made to fires that are contained in a metal or ceramic fire pit no larger than 18 inches wide and 12 inches deep, completely covered by a small mesh screen, no taller than 12 inches, in a designated campfire area with written permission of the landowner and under the supervision of an adult with the appropriate fire suppression tools.

The ban was put in place because of dry weather and vegetation conditions as well as fire crews being heavily committed elsewhere around Northern California to battle wildfires, according to Cal Fire.