Cal Fire puts out 4 escaped debris burns over weekend
Firefighters responded to four illegal debris burns in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties over the weekend, resulting in four criminal citations and one district attorney case referral.
The Cal Fire Tuolumnecalaveras Unit detailed the incidents in a news release Monday, which also stated that fires caused by debris burning are preventable by following the terms of the burn permit.
Cal Fire lifted the suspension on debris burning within the Tuolumnecalaveras Unit on Nov. 1 for those with a valid burn permit.
About 1 p.m. Saturday, firefighters from the Tuolumne-calaveras Unit responded to an escaped debris burn that didn’t have the required clearance near Teda Boulevard and Tuolumne Road North in Tuolumne.
Among the terms listed on burn permits is a requirement to maintain 10 feet of vegetation clearance around a burn pile.
A citation was issued to an unnamed person in connection with the fire in Tuolumne on Saturday on suspicion of violating California Public Resources Code 4422(b) for “allowing a fire to escape control,” the release stated. Such violations are typically considered misdemeanors.
About an hour later, firefighters responded at 2:09 p.m. Saturday to a report of a wildland fire near Wards Ferry and Deer Creek roads in Groveland.
The fire burned about an acre of vegetation before the cause was determined to have been an escaped debris burn with no required clearance. A citation for violating PRC 4422(b) was also issued to a person who was not identified by Cal Fire in the news release.
Firefighters responded to
two escaped debris burns in Calaveras County on Sunday, with the first occurring about 11 a.m. near the 4800 block of Baldwin Street in Rancho Calaveras.
An oversized burn pile without the required clearance was allowed to escape and burned about 2.1 acres of vegetation, the news release stated. The case was referred to the Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office.
Burn permits also stipulate a maximum pile size of 4 feet in diameter. A responsible person must also be in attendance of the fire at all times, with a shovel and water on hand, until the fire is out and cold.
The last fire caused by an escaped debris burn was reported at 3:13 p.m. Sunday near Oxyoke Lane and Little John Drive in Copperopolis. The blaze burned 3.6 acres of vegetation and also resulted from a lack of required clearance around the burn. A citation was issued to an unnamed person for violating PRC 4422(b).
Cal Fire reminded people to ensure they have a valid burn permit when conducting burns. Permits are available on the agency’s website at https://burnpermit.fire.ca.gov.