In response to rapidly escalating regional fire dangers, City of Susanville Public Safety Chief Allen Sobol has announced a complete suspension of all burn permits and open burning within the city limits, effective today, June 17th.
The city-wide restriction takes effect precisely at 12:01a.m. and prohibits all residential outdoor burning of landscape debris, branches, leaves and any other vegetation. Authorities emphasize that this prohibition applies strictly to all properties located within the Susanville city limits.
According to the official announcement, the directive is being implemented in close coordination with CAL FIRE’s broader suspension of burn permits across Lassen, Modoc, and Plumas counties. The City of Susanville typically aligns its local burning restrictions with CAL FIRE’s annual declarations to systematically minimize regional wildfire risks and establish a unified prevention front among local emergency response agencies.
Local public safety officials pointed to an abundance of dead grass coupled with a shift toward significantly hotter and drier weather conditions across the region as the primary catalysts for the immediate suspension. These environmental factors create volatile conditions where outdoor fires can rapidly escape containment and threaten surrounding neighborhoods.
While formal residential burning is strictly banned for the season, Chief Sobol and the Susanville Fire Department are strongly urging local residents to shift their focus toward proactive wildfire preparedness and property protection.
How Residents Can Help Protect Their Homes & Neighborhoods:
Remove Fuel Sources: Clear out dead and dying vegetation from the immediate vicinity of all residential homes and outbuildings.
Maintain Defensible Space: Ensure a clean buffer zone is maintained around structures to slow or stop the spread of wildfire.
Utilize Alternative Disposal: Safely dispose of accumulated landscape debris through authorized chipping, hauling, or other green-waste disposal methods instead of burning.
Ensure Emergency Access: Keep residential house addresses clearly visible from the street and guarantee that emergency response access routes remain completely unobstructed.
Property owners looking for comprehensive guidelines regarding professional defensible space design, home hardening techniques, emergency evacuation planning, or general seasonal wildfire readiness are encouraged to visit the official CAL FIRE educational portal at Ready for Wildfire or directly contact the Susanville Fire Department administrative lines for local assistance.
