The Amador-El Dorado-Sacramento-Alpine Unit of CalFire is reminding everyone dooryard burn permits are required starting May 1.

These permits are issued to the public for free, are valid for three years from the date of issuance, and allows for the burning of dry vegetation (not household trash) that originates on the landowner’s property.

Unit Chief Kelly Keenan in a press release said, “We still have a lot of extra vegetation (fuel) all over the county from the very destructive December storms and if we don’t continue to aggressively dispose of this fuel, come summer our wildfires will have the potential of becoming catastrophic. It is estimated that in some areas there is 33 percent more fuel on the ground than in past years from this single storm.”

Last year 23 percent of wildland fires in Amador and El Dorado counties was from burning debris piles that escaped the control of the person in charge, Keenan said.

For Amador County call (209) 223.6246 and for El Dorado County call (530) 621.5897.

Burn permits are available at most locally staffed fire stations.

The use of burn barrels is no longer legal in El Dorado or Amador counties.