As peak wildfire season ends, Cal Fire makes a call on Sacramento region burn permit rules

Cal Fire will no longer require residents within the state responsibility areas of Alpine, Amador, El Dorado and Sacramento counties to apply for burn permits starting Monday, now that the region has made its way out of peak wildfire season.

“Cooler temperatures and increased relative humidity across the region have lowered the threat of wildfires allowing the Amador-El Dorado Unit of Cal Fire to transition out of peak fire season,” the organization announced Friday, with the important reminder that “the leading cause of wildfires this time of year is from escaped landscape debris burning.”

Consequently, people should exercise caution by only burning debris on permissive burn days.

“Now is the time to create defensible space for next season,” Amador-El Dorado Unit Chief Mike Blankenheim said. “I want to remind the public to check with their appropriate county air quality district for any permits they may require prior to burning.”

The announcement came just one day after Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated being “near the end of peak fire season — not the end of fire season,” on Thursday at a Napa news conference with members of Cal Fire.

“As we have all acknowledged, fire season is now year-round,” he said before celebrating his administration’s aggressive approach to wildfire prevention and management in the form of $2.8 million spent over the past two years.

“We recognize we have not made up for 100 years of neglect in that space,” Newsom said. “And yes, before you state the obvious, let me state the obvious. We have a lot more work to do.”

The governor followed up on Saturday by signing an executive order aimed at assisting those impacted by the Mosquito Fire, which burned almost 80,000 acres in the Foresthill area in September and October.