San Andreas, CA…Friday, May 1, 2020, at 8:00 AM the Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit (TCU) of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) will require burning permits within State Responsibility Areas of Tuolumne County, Calaveras County, Eastern Stanislaus County and Eastern San Joaquin County. Burn hours will not be restricted; however, a transition to night time burning may occur as conditions change.

In compliance with Governor Newsom’s COVID-19 “Stay at Home” order, TCU has transitioned to the https://burnpermit.fire.ca.gov/apply-for-a-permit/ website for issuance of residential dooryard burn permits. The website is the preferred method of obtaining a permit and provides for minimal contact. Applicants will watch a three-minute educational video, fill out an online application, print the permit and once signed the permit will be valid.

Property Owners requiring an alternate means of obtaining a permit are asked to call our headquarters office during normal business hours (Monday to Friday 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.) at 209-754-3831 for assistance.

Burn permit terms include limiting pile size to a maximum of four feet by four feet (four feet in diameter, and four feet high) and clearing down to bare mineral soil 10 feet from the outer edges of burn piles. Outdoor burning may be done ONLY on permissive burn days. Remember, burn day status is determined by air quality: how quickly smoke will disperse. Therefore, many permissible burn days are very windy. Never burn when it’s windy, even if it is a permissible burn day. Remain in attendance of your burn project and have tools and water close by to suppress any escape from your burning operation.

It is your responsibility to check burn day status by calling your local Air Pollution Control District with jurisdiction over your area.