Butte County – Recent rains and cooler temperatures across the region have lowered the threat of wildfires allowing CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire to transition out of peak fire season effective November 14, 2016 in Butte County.
“We welcome the recent rains that will allow county residents to safety maintain their defensible space over the next few months”, stated Unit Chief Darren Read.
As drought conditions continue to have a hold on California, CAL FIRE is maintaining staffing to meet the current threat, as well as strategically moving resources to areas that remain at a higher threat level. CAL FIRE will also continue to monitor weather conditions closely and still has the ability to increase staffing should weather conditions change or if there is a need to support wildfires or other emergencies in other areas of the State.
The 2016 fire season has been an extremely active year, even more so than in 2015. Statewide, CAL FIRE and firefighters from many local agencies battled over 5,585 wildfires within the State Responsibility Area that burned nearly 148,000 acres. This is over 1,170 more wildfires this year than normal. In the Butte Unit, CAL FIRE responded to 366 wildfires that charred 2,420 acres.
During the cooler winter months, CAL FIRE will be focusing efforts on the implementation of fire prevention and fuels treatment activities as guided by the State’s Strategic Fire Plan and localized Unit fire plans. These activities are aimed at reducing the impacts of large, damaging wildfires and improving overall forest health.
Residents are urged to still take precautions outdoors in order to prevent sparking a wildfire. A leading cause of wildfires this time of year is from escaped landscape debris burning. Before you burn, ensure it is a permissive burn day by contacting the Butte County Air Quality Management at 530-332-9407 and then make sure you have any and all required burn permits. During burning, make sure that piles of landscape debris are no larger than four feet in diameter, provide a 10 ft. clearance down to bare mineral soil around the burn pile and ensure that a responsible adult is in attendance at all times with a water source and a shovel.
For more ways to prevent sparking a wildfire visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
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