MENDOCINO Co., 3/31/22 — Beginning Monday, April 4, Cal Fire Mendocino will begin requiring burn permits for residential burning in Mendocino County, which will be available online as well as at local Cal Fire stations. These permits apply to residents in what’s considered the state responsibility area (SRA) but there may be additional local permits required depending on your location. Residents will need to have a signed burn permit as well as check with the Mendocino County Air Quality Management District to ensure it is a permissive burn day.
The permit requirement is typically suspended during the rainy months due to the reduced fire risks. Last year, the permit requirement was raised in the end of October, 2021 due to significant rains reducing fire risks. Cal Fire started requiring permits in early May last year and now that move is coming more than one month early — likely due the historically dry conditions currently facing much of California and the western U.S.
Much of Northern and Central California has just experienced the driest January through March ever recorded, according to meteorologist Daniel Swain. With unseasonably warm temperatures and below average snowfall, wildfire risks are unseasonably high. The March 29 update from the U.S. Drought Monitor, which you can see here, shows much of the North Coast currently in “extreme drought” based on the most recent data.
You can read more about the current weather conditions at Swain’s site WeatherWest, and information about the new burn permit regulations can be found in the Cal Fire pdf below:
Burn-Permits-Required-2022