SANTA CRUZ — While many California counties have phased out backyard burns as a method to clear vegetation and reduce wildfire risk, Santa Cruz remains an area where the method remains a tool to residents in more rural areas.
Last week, three backyard burns led to small wildfires. Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit forester Rich Sampson offered tips on how residents can more safely handle backyard burns.
The basics
From Dec. 1 and April 30, residents who live on at least a half-acre can burn vegetation on their property, pending approval from the Monterey Bay Air Quality District. An application must be filled out prior to burning at mbard.org/open-burning.
Backyard burns can only be used on certain days. Call 800-225-2876 to first see if burning is allowed on a certain day. San Lorenzo Valley residents must also receive authorization for a backyard burn a day before they plan to do so. Santa Cruz County residents should visit montereybaycleanair.org, click on Daily Online Authorization for Backyard Burns.
Beyond that, those who wish to burn should also call their local fire station prior to proceeding with the burn, Sampson said.
“Call your local fire or Cal Fire station and tell them you’re burning, they’ll tell you if it’s a good idea or not. This way we can keep track of smokes,” Sampson said. “If conditions not conducive, we will say ‘don’t do it today.’ ”
The pile must not exceed a 4-feet in diameter and 4-feet tall.
“First and foremost, having clearance around the pile is very important,” Sampson said. “One of the fires last week, they had no clearance, they had tall grass right up to the burn. Have your clearance – 10 feet of clearance around each pile.”
For details on prescribed burn regulations for Santa Cruz County, visit portal.laserfiche.com.
Issues can arise
If temperatures are 75 degrees or higher, winds are more than 5 mph, and humidity is less than 40%, backyard burns can turn dangerous, according to Sampson. Residents should not burn on days where such weather conditions are present.
Recently, one fire erupted in Boulder Creek because the burn pile wasn’t completely extinguished. Another ignited because the residents weren’t in attendance throughout the burn and winds picked up. In that case, residents were burning trash, not just vegetation, which is illegal.
“You have to make sure somebody’s in attendance and watching it at all times,” Sampson said, “There needs to be adequate tools and water on site to control it, and the burn has to be completely out, cold and wet, before dark.”
While backyard burns were previously allowed to burn overnight, that is now prohibited. Vegetation that is burned must be completely dry.
Sampson recalled the 2008 Summit Fire, ignited as a result of a contractor failing to fully put out a backyard burn. That fire started on May 22, 2008 and destroyed 63 homes and burned 4,280 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains. According to the Department of the Interior, at least 90% of wildfires are caused by people.
Cal Fire continues to consider implementing a burn ban, and ending the backyard burn season early.
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Backyard burns: when to do it, and how to do it safely - Santa Cruz Sentinel
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