LAKE COUNTY — The fire season for Lake County, which was extended three weeks from the planned closing date of Oct. 22 due to the Southern California fires, has officially ended. As a result, the burn ban will be lifted today at 9 a.m.
The delay of the Northern California fire season closure on Oct. 22 opened up aid from Cal Fire and the Department of Forestry to battle wildfires fueled by the Santa Ana winds. Lake County personnel from Cal Fire and the Department of Forestry are still deployed in Southern California. The northern region is currently in a low fire danger, and Lake County experienced a lower number of fires this season than expected, according to fire chiefs at each of the area”s departments.
Kelseyville Fire Chief Howard Strickler said his district fought about 12 fires this season. “There were fewer fires this year and last year, there wasn”t as much activity as could have been expected in Lake County,” he said of the tinder-dry conditions throughout California that ended disastrously for Southern California.
Burn permits are required for all burns in the Lake County Air Basin. Permits can be obtained by contacting your area Fire Protection District or the Lake County Air Quality Management District for burns that may last overnight or several days. All agencies charge fees for open waste burning permits ranging from $21 for Agricultural, Residential and Smoke Management Plans to $64 for Land Development/Lot Clearing.
Residential burn permits require a one-acre or larger lot, a burn location of at least 100 ft. from all neighbors and 30 ft. from any structure. Burn hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. only. Land Clearing burns require specified permits, obtainable at fire districts across the county.
Each day of the burning season is designated as either a “no burn day” a “limited burn day” or an “agricultural extended burn day.” On “no burn days” all open burning is illegal unless an exemption has been issued for a specific fire. Only vegetation can be burned, and the law requires that an able-bodied adult supervise all fires.
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