San Diego

Cal Fire Suspends Burn Permits in San Diego County Amid Fire Season

Cal Fire included helpful tips for residents to prep their houses and properties to prevent the spread of wildfires.

With another hot, dry fire season underway, Cal Fire has decided to suspend all burn permits for outdoor residential burning in San Diego County.

That includes all locations within the State Responsibility Area (SRA) of San Diego County. To see a map of the fire hazard severity zones in SRA, visit their website here.

"We are asking that residents not be lulled into a false sense of security on the heels of an exceptionally wet winter," said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE director, in a statement. "The abundant dead grass will only serve as a fuse to the heavier vegetation still suffering the lasting effects of five years of extreme drought."

Some tips that were offered to help prepare homes for fire season include clearing all dead plants or vegetation within a 100-feet radius, landscaping with fire resistant/drought tolerant plants and disposing of landscape debris by taking it to a biomass energy or green waste facility.

"The importance of defensible space cannot be over emphasized, but just as important is that residents conduct their clearance activities in a safe and responsible manner," said CAL FIRE Unit/San Diego County Fire Chief Tony Mecham, in a statement. "This includes using the proper tools and limiting clearance activities to the early morning hours when the humidity is up and the temperatures are down."

Cal Fire crews and firefighters have responded to more than 920 wildfires across the state since Jan. 1., according to Cal Fire.

Contact Us