Cal Fire issues county-wide burn ban
Ban effective immediately
– California’s increased fire activity this year, coupled with record-setting drought conditions, required Cal Fire to take another step to prevent new wildfires from starting.
In order to reduce potential ignitions and in support of the declaration of a drought emergency in San Luis Obispo County and the governor’s drought state of emergency declaration it has prompted Cal Fire San Luis Obispo to suspend all burning permits and open fires within the State Responsibility Area and within the Local Responsibility Area under contract with Cal Fire beginning June 19. This burn suspension will remain in effect until there is enough precipitation to reduce the fire threat.
Cal Fire is urging residents to do their part to be fire safe during this critical time and to make sure they have prepared an emergency plan in case a fire threatens their home or family.
Here are some tips from Cal Fire that citizens can use to prevent wildfires:
- Do defensible space clearing such as mowing before 10 a.m. and never on a hot and windy day.
- Don’t toss cigarettes out your car window.
- Don’t pull your vehicle off into dry grass or brush. Hot exhaust pipes and mufflers can start fires that can’t be seen easily by the driver.
- Check with local officials for additional fire restrictions.
- In wild land areas, spark arresters are required on all portable gasoline powered equipment. This includes tractors, chainsaws, weed-eaters, mowers, motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).
- Report any suspicious activity. Call the Cal Fire Arson Hotline: 1-800-468-4408.
Campfires within organized campgrounds or on private property are allowed if they are in a designated campfire site that prevents fire from spreading outside the site. Fire department training that uses fire is allowed with expressed approval from the unit chief.
Nearly ninety-five percent of all wild land fires within Cal Fire’s jurisdiction are human-caused. For more fire safety tips visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org or website at www.fire.ca.gov.
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