Bringing Fire Back to Your Land
How to begin planning a prescribed burn on your property and the permits you will need
How can I have a prescribed burn on my land?
Getting ready to safely and effectively conduct a prescribed burn takes some work. First, start by establishing the objectives of the burn. The desired burn outcomes will inform every step of the burning process (seasonality, intensity, scale, weather conditions, etc.). The process will also include creating a burn unit, writing a burn plan with acceptable weather conditions, doing some manual vegetation preparation, hardening and ensuring defensible space around any structures on your property, defining control lines, communicating with your neighbors, and obtaining the proper permits. A good way to get familiar with the overall process is to review the Rx Field Guide for Landowners created by the Placer County RCD and CAL FIRE.
What permits do I need to conduct a prescribed burn?
Different permits are required by the Mendocino Air Quality Management District (MCAQMD), CAL FIRE, and your local fire district depending on the time of year you plan to burn and the type of burn you are doing (e.g. pile burning or broadcast burning). Additionally, if you are planning a larger burn or more than one burn during the season, you may need a smoke management plan (SMP).
Regardless of where you live in the county, a MCAQMD permit is always required. If you live in a State Responsibility Area (SRA), your other burn permit will be administered through CAL FIRE. If you live in a Local Responsibility Area (LRA), your other burn permit will be issued by your local fire district. To determine which responsibility area you live in, look up your address here: State Responsibility Area (SRA) Viewer
To understand the permits you will need to burn, see the permitting guides below for broadcast and pile burning permits in Mendocino County, created in conjunction with the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network.
