MARIPOSA COUNTY – The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone of the Proclamation issued by Cal Fire regarding suspended burning permits and other uses of open fire, campfires and outdoor smoking.
On June 11, 2015, per section 4423.1 of the Public Resources Code, Nancy Koerperich, Unit Chief of the Madera-Mariposa-Merced CAL FIRE unit issued the following:
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 the incorporated cities, the privileges of burning by permit and other uses of open fire, including; The use of campfire, except within facilities constructed for that purpose within the confines of a campground established, maintained, and open for public use, whether publicly or privately owned; Outdoor smoking, except within motor vehicles while operating or parked on established roads, rest stops, or parking areas cleared of flammable vegetation, within established campgrounds open to the public, or within an area that is at least three feet or approximately one meter in diameter which has been cleared to mineral soil by removal of all flammable vegetation and duff, in the geographic area described as:
ALL STATE RESPONSIBILITY AREA LANDS WITHIN THE COUNTIES OF MADERA, MARIPOSA, AND MERCED.
In accordance with section 4423.2 of the Public Resources Code, state rangers or other authorized agents of 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 0800AM on June 15, 2015 and remain in effect until I formally terminate this proclamation.
Effective immediately The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office along with Cal Fire will begin to enforce this proclamation to ensure the safety of all residence and visitors of our County. Some recent examples of this would include but not limited to: Warming Fires, Merced River area fires in undesignated camping areas and smoking in public parks.
If you see or know of any violations as described above please contact the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office at 209-966-3615 or the Cal Fire MMU at 209-966-3622.
