Rivco Fire Chief John Hawkins Suspends Burning Permits
Riverside County Fire Chief John Hawkins of CalFire has proclaimed a need for suspension of burning permits and other uses of open fire effective Wednesday, July 8, with some notable exceptions to the agricultural industry.
Here’s a copy of the Chief’s proclamation:
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION
PROCLAMATION
SUSPENDING BURNING PERMITS
AND OTHER USES OF OPEN FIRE
Due to the extreme menace of destruction by fire to life, improved property or natural resources caused by critical fire weather and acute dryness of vegetation; and/or fire suppression forces being heavily committed to control fires; and, under authority vested in me by the Director of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection as per section 4423.1 of the Public Resources Code, I hereby suspend, except within incorporated cities, the privileges of burning by permit and other uses of open fire in the geographic area described as:
ALL STATE AND LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY AREA LANDS
WITHIN THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE.
In addition to suspension of open burning, the following restrictions also are hereby applied in the area cited above:
1. Use of campfires is restricted to within established campfire facilities located in established campgrounds open to the public.
2. Agricultural burning in the Palo Verde Valley and Coachella Valley is authorized as required for agricultural rehabilitation.
3. Cooking fires with a valid permit are permissive when no alternate means of cooking is available and requires an on-site inspection prior to the issuance of a permit.
4. Warming fires are permissive and require an on-site inspection prior to the issuance of a permit when weather conditions exist to justify the request.
In accordance with section 4423.2 of the Public Resources Code, state officers having jurisdiction and authorized by the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection may issue restricted temporary burning permits whenever it can be shown that burning or use of open fire is essential for reasons of public health, safety, or welfare.
This order shall become effective at 1200 hrs hours on July 8, 2009 and remain in effect until I formally terminate this proclamation.
JOHN R. HAWKINS
Unit Chief