TRUCKEE, Calif. Truckee Fire announced that a regional burn ban is in effect for the 2023 wild fire season. All residential bonfires, charcoal barbecues and any other type of cooking that involves solid fuel such as wood, lump charcoal grills are prohibited throughout the Truckee area until the end of fire season.

Residents and visitors can continue to use outdoor gas devices including campfires, gas firepits, gas barbecues, pellet barbecues such as Traegers, and all indoor fireplaces including wood and pellet-burning stoves and fireplaces.

“This is simply our new normal,” said Wildfire Prevention Manager Eric Horntvedt. “We all love to grill with our friends but we cannot run the risk these fires pose to our community at large. The burn ban is a proven and effective way to mitigate our chances of a catastrophic wildfire. Especially since many of the fires in our area have been caused by hot coals that weren’t disposed of correctly, or campfires that weren’t all the way out. We’re grateful this community understands the severity of risk we face and repeatedly choose to honor the ban.”

Truckee Fire, Cal Fire, local HOAs, the Town of Truckee, Placer and Nevada Counties and regional fire chiefs have collectively decided that all visitors, residents and businesses within the Truckee area must follow the burn ban. The few exceptions include designated state and federal campgrounds and day use picnic areas with a valid permit as well as permitted special events and commercial cooking operations.

According to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, humans cause nearly 90% of wildfires in the United States and a majority of those are not intentional. These types of fires are the most preventable in our area through the implementation of the burn ban. The ban is currently in effect and will last through the 2023 fire season, which usually runs through November. Occasional red flag days will be called and require additional restrictions.