Cal Fire suspends all outdoor burning in Santa Cruz & San Mateo Counties

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION) All residents in Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties will not be allowed to conduct any outdoor burning starting Friday, Sept. 3 at 12:00 p.m. due to current fire conditions and the amount of fire suppression resources being used in wildfires burning in Northern California.

All outdoor burning will be suspended within the State Responsibility Areas and any Local Responsibility Areas under Cal Fire Contract in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, according to Cal Fire.

The burn suspension includes campfires, warming fires and ceremonial fires.

In some locations, above ground charcoal only barbeques within organized campgrounds or picnic areas could be accepted by the jurisdiction for their site. The public should be warned they are liable for any fire they lose control over.

Cal Fire is also asking residents to make sure they are prepared for wildfires. This includes keeping 100 feet of defensible space around their home.

Cal Fire CZU says the suspension will be reassessed when critical fire conditions decline and or the amount of fire suppression resources currently committed to the large fires become locally available.

For more information, local residents can call the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District at (831) 647-9411 or www.mbard.org.

For information on wildfire prevention and preparation, people can visit www.readyforwildfire.org.