Cal Fire suspends residential burning permits in San Diego County due to hot, dry conditions

Violent bushfires (Adobe Stock)

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Citing hot, dry conditions and the amount of dead brush, Cal Fire announced the suspension of residential burning permits in San Diego County starting in June 2024.

Effective June 1 at 8 a.m., the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) is suspending all burn permits for outdoor residential burns within the county's state area of ​​responsibility from San Diego.

Cal Fire noted that the suspension is due to fire risk from a high volume of dead grass and increased hot, dry conditions in the area.

The suspension means that any residential outdoor burning of branches, leaves and other landscape debris is not permitted.

Firefighters have already responded to more than 950 wildfires in California since the start of 2024, according to Cal Fire.

The agency is asking San Diego County residents to mitigate the risk of wildfires around their homes with the following tips:

• Remove dead and dying vegetation 100 feet around all structures
• Landscape with fire-resistant plants and non-flammable ground cover
• Find other ways to dispose of landscape debris, such as shredding it or taking it to a biomass energy or green waste facility.

Campfires on private property and in campgrounds are still permitted, but require a permit.

At certain times of the year and in certain parts of the state, residential burning of dead vegetation, agricultural and agency-sponsored burning projects, and widespread burning are permitted unless otherwise noted such as the current suspension.

Last year, Cal Fire suspended burn permits in June, lifting that suspension in November 2023.