NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — After another wet winter and above average snowpack, warming temperatures and winds are quickly drying out the abundant annual grass crop.

The increasing fire danger posed by the high volume of dead grass and hotter, drier conditions in the region is prompting Cal Fire to suspend all burn permits for outdoor residential burning within the State Responsibility Areas of Colusa, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

This suspension takes effect Monday, June 23, at 8 a.m., and suspends all residential outdoor burning of landscape debris such as branches and leaves.

For Lake County, an annual burn ban is implemented each year by the Lake County Air Quality Management District beginning on May 1.

From January through June 15, the Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit has had 124 dispatches to wildfires. That number is up from what we saw over the same timeframe from the previous two years (92 in 2024 and 87 in 2023), but aligns with the previous five-year average.

From 2020-2024, the Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit averaged 147 wildfire dispatches between Jan. 1 and June 15.

While outdoor burning of landscape debris by homeowners is no longer allowed, Cal Fire is asking residents to take that extra time to ensure that they are prepared for wildfires.

Cal Fire asks residents to create defensible space — especially focus on Zone 0, the first 5 feet around your home. Start at your home and work your way out by clearing all dead and or dying vegetation around all structures, out to 100 feet from them where applicable.

The department may issue restricted temporary burning permits if there is an essential reason due to public health and safety.

Agriculture, land management, fire training and other industrial-type burning may proceed if a Cal Fire official inspects the burn site and issues a special permit.

The suspension of burn permits for residential landscape debris does not apply to campfires within organized campgrounds or on private property.

Campfires may be permitted if the campfire is maintained in such a manner as to prevent its spread to the wildland. A campfire permit can be obtained at local fire stations or online at
PreventWildfireCA.org.

For additional information on how to create Defensible Space, on how to be prepared for wildfires, as well as tips to prevent wildfires, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.