Since the burn ban was lifted on Saturday there have been six escaped debris burns within the Shasta-Trinity Cal-Fire Protection Area. Some of those escaped burns have led to citations. Those responsible can also be criminally liable and can be billed for suppression costs and property damage. Air quality officials and firefighters would prefer to see greenwaste turned into mulch but if burning must be done, Cal-Fire says they don’t want people trying to do the right thing the wrong way. Caution is especially important early in the season when very little rain has fallen. Also, gusty winds are forecast ahead of the coming stormfronts, and it’s certainly not too late for a catastrophe to unfold from a simple little pile of burning leaves. In Redding city limits a permit is required. They can be picked up at city hall or printed from reddingfire.org, and they’re free for the first time this year. Burn piles must contain only clean dry vegetation such as leaves, pine needles, and yard clippings. A 10-foot diameter should be scraped down to bare soil. A shovel and water supply must be near at hand and burning or smoldering piles should never be left unattended. Piles can be a maximum of 4 feet high and 4 feet wide. Burning can only be done on burn days. Shasta County’s burn day line is 224-8777.