Camino — Effective 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10, CAL FIRE’s Amador–El Dorado Unit announced that burn permits will no longer be required in the State Responsibility Areas (SRA) covering Alpine, Amador, El Dorado and Sacramento counties — but residents must still confirm that it is a permissive burn day with their local air quality district and follow strict safety rules before lighting any landscape debris.
Officials said cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity across the region have lowered the wildfire danger enough for some seasonal restrictions to be relaxed, though escaped landscape burning remains a leading cause of wildfire this time of year. CAL FIRE and local agencies urged residents to keep piles small (no larger than 4 feet in diameter), clear a 10-foot mineral-soil firebreak around piles, have a responsible adult attend with water and shovel, and avoid burning on windy days. For more landscape-burning guidance, ReadyForWildfire and CAL FIRE’s burn-permit portal remain the official resources.
Timeline and what changed
• June–Oct.: CAL FIRE Amador–El Dorado Unit suspended residential burn permits earlier in the summer when fire danger rose, then earlier in October announced the end of the suspension in portions of the unit and that permits would be required on permissive burn days.
• Nov. 10 (effective 8 a.m.): CAL FIRE posted that burn permits are no longer required in the SRA for Alpine, Amador, El Dorado and Sacramento counties; however, permissive-burn-day confirmation from local air districts remains required. Residents should use the CAL FIRE burn status page and the county air district phone lines listed below.
How to confirm before you burn (call to verify)
• Amador County Air District: (209) 223-6246.
• El Dorado County Air Quality Management District: (530) 621-5897.
• Alpine County: (760) 872-8211.
• Tahoe Basin: (530) 621-5842 or toll-free (888) 332-2876.
• Sacramento County (air district line shown on CAL FIRE permits page): (279) 972-2876.
This change applies to residents burning landscape debris in State Responsibility Areas of the named counties. It does not override air-quality rules — an appropriate local air-district burn day (a “permissive” burn day) is still required before burning — and local jurisdictions may have additional rules (for example, El Dorado County prohibits burn barrels). Check both CAL FIRE’s burn status page and your county air district before lighting any fire.
“Those possessing current and valid agriculture and residential burn permits can resume burning on permissible burn days,”
CAL FIRE Amador–El Dorado Unit officials previously said when lifting the earlier suspension — language meant to remind residents that permissive-day verification and safety practices remain essential even when permits are not being actively required.
Where to find official information
• CAL FIRE residential burn status and the online burn permit portal: burnpermit.fire.ca.gov. CAL FIRE Burn Permits+1
• ReadyForWildfire debris-burning safety tips and alternatives to burning: ReadyForWildfire.org. Ready for Wildfire
• El Dorado County burn-day and burn permit guidance: eldoradocounty.ca.gov — “Burn Day” information. El Dorado County
Bottom line for El Dorado residents: beginning Nov. 10, you may not need a CAL FIRE burn permit in the SRA — but you must confirm it’s a permissive burn day with the El Dorado County Air Quality Management District (530-621-5897), follow pile-size and clearance rules, keep a water source and shovel nearby, and never leave a fire unattended. Failure to maintain control of a burn is the responsibility of the person who started it and can lead to criminal or civil consequences if a wildfire starts.
