By Bay City News Service
Open burns will be banned starting Monday in a number of Bay Area counties to limit the risk as fire season gets underway, Cal Fire said today.
The burn ban is effective in Santa Cruz, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara,
San Mateo, Stanislaus, San Benito, Monterey and western San Joaquin counties, according to Division Chief Rich Sampson.
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"Experience has shown that open burning suspensions effectively
aid in preventing fire escapes and significantly reduce the risk of and occurrence of large fires," Sampson said in a statement.
"This is especially important as these counties are currently
experiencing low cumulative rainfall, low humidity, dry fuel moisture levels and increased fire activity."
Find out what's happening in Watsonvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Burns can still take place for agriculture, land management and
fire training, but only with a Cal Fire permit. Campfires are still allowed in designated campgrounds and on private property.
For more information on how to prepare for and prevent wildfires,
go to www.readyforwildfire.org.
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