Burn Permit Suspension Lifted Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit
Effective 12/09/2019, the burn permit suspension in Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Solano, Yolo and Colusa counties was lifted by Cal Fire. Those possessing current and valid agriculture and residential burn permits can resume burning on permissible burn days.
Residents are asked to use caution while conducting burns, follow all guidelines, and to maintain control of the fire at all times. Individuals can be held civilly and/or criminally liable for allowing a fire to escape their control and/or burn onto neighboring property. Residents should contact their local Fire District prior to any burning. Watch the video on this page for basic guidelines:
https://burnpermit.fire.ca.gov/apply-for-a-permit
“Many area residents are faced with removing vegetation that was damaged during the recent fires,” said Sonoma County Fire Marshal James Williams. “Please consult a professional before cutting trees, and make sure burning is done safely.”
Residents MUST verify it is a permissive burn day prior to burning
· Bay Area Air Quality Management District, (415) 771-6000
· Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District, (707) 433-5911
· Visit http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Air-Quality to see air district boundaries.
Pile Burning Requirements
• Burn only dry, natural vegetative material such as leaves, pine needles and tree trimmings.
• The burning of trash, painted wood, or other debris is not allowed.
• Do NOT burn on windy days.
• Piles should be no larger than four feet in diameter and in height. Add to the pile as it burns down.
• Clear a 10 foot line down to bare soil around your piles.
• Have a shovel and a water source nearby.
• An adult is required to be in attendance of the fire at all times.
Safe residential burning of vegetation is a crucial tool in reducing fire hazards. When conditions allow, state, federal and local fire and land management agencies will be conducting prescribed burns aimed at improving forest health on private and public lands.
For more information visit: Sonoma County Fire athttp://sonomacounty.ca.gov/PRMD/Fire-Prevention
or CAL FIRE at www.fire.ca.gov or www.ReadyForWildfire.org
Firefighter News - January 2020
Holiday Tree Disposal:Thirty seconds is all it takes for a dry Christmas tree to be consumed by fire. Many people will leave their trees up through the New Year — but fire doesn’t take a holiday.
The Sonoma County Fire Prevention Officers Association urges everyone to dispose of their trees as soon as possible, once it begins to show signs of drying out. According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), one-third of all Christmas tree fires occur in January.
The first rule of tree disposal:Never put the tree or branches in a fireplace or wood burning stove! Sonoma County Waste Management has made it easy to recycle with three options:
There is no charge for county residents to put trees on the curbside during a specific window… OR cut and place in your regular yard waste container and for regular yard waste collection day.
Cloverdale, Cotati, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Windsor and unincorporated Sonoma County have whole tree collection. Curbside dates, check www.recology/com/RSMschedules. If that’s not an option, the tree MUST BE CUT TO FIT inside the yard waste container as trees sticking out can interfere with the lifting arm on the truck.
Call (707) 565-3333 for an appointment to have a non-profit pickup your tree.
Call ahead to schedule a pickup. The suggested donation for this service is $7 for trees less than 6 feet and $10 for larger trees.
Free drop-off locations throughout the County (cut in half, no flocking).
Sonoma County Fairgrounds, thru 1/10
Sonoma County Transfer Stations, thru 1/17
The longer Christmas trees are in the home, the more they dry out and increasingly become fire hazards. Removing the tree from your home and properly disposing of it as soon as possible will minimize the risk of a treasured holiday season becoming a tragic one.
Graton Fire
Christmas Tree Farm: Thank you to everyone who came to our fire station to get a Christmas tree and support our volunteer firefighters! For the ninth year, we also brought in Noble, Nordman, and other trees from a sustainable farm in Oregon... They were so popular, we sold out! In addition, hundreds of people cut down their own trees across our seven acres. Kids enjoyed searching the 5,000+ seedlings now planted throughout the farm to find their names from prior years. A big “Thank You” to our tree farm manager, Heather O’Dell, her team, and all the volunteer firefighters for helping the tree farm be such a successful fundraiser. Most importantly, we appreciate your support to keep our tree farm sustainable. We look forward to seeing you next season!
