Amador County – The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Amador-El Dorado unit announced in early October that burn restrictions have been lifted for the unit’s region.

Amador-El Dorado Unit Chief Kelly Keenan said this time of year “is an excellent opportunity to work on your defensible space. Establishing the 100-foot barrier around your home and outbuildings on your property is the best defense against a wildfire.” He said the time is now to burn the piles of vegetation generated from outdoor work.

CDF Amador-El Dorado Fire Prevention Specialist Teri Mizuhara announced that CDF had rescinded the burn restrictions and lifted the burn suspension as of Oct. 5, based on cooler weather and rains. She said the Unit would also transition toward “winter preparedness levels,” which started Oct. 10. The transition allows the Amador-El Dorado Unit to release some seasonal firefighters and eventually close some remote wildland fire stations over the following weeks. She said CDF “is always prepared to call resources back if fire weather conditions dictate.”

Burn permits will still be required until the end of fire season has been declared. Burn permits can be obtained for free at most fire stations. People should contact local fire stations to determine if they can obtain a fire permit. The local Air Quality Management District or Air Pollution Control District governs burn-day and no-burn-day status, and people are urged to call the burn information line immediately prior to burning.

Amador County’s burn line is (209)223-6246. El Dorado County’s burn line is (530)621-5897.

For additional information on burning safely, defensible space and other fire and life safety topics, please visit the CDF website at fire.ca.gov.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.