Chief's Message
Chief Wilson began his fire service career in 1998 as a Volunteer Firefighter with Mariposa County Fire. He joined the Hammond Ranch Fire Department’s sleeper program in 2000 while attending the College of the Siskiyous. In 2001, Chief Wilson was hired by CAL FIRE and worked as a Firefighter I in the San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit (CZU) in both state mission and cooperative fire protection agreements.
Chief Wilson promoted to Fire Apparatus Engineer (FAE) in CZU in 2003. As a FAE, he worked within multiple programs in CZU including Schedule B, Pajaro Valley Fire District, San Mateo County Fire, and Ben Lomond Camp running special projects. In 2008, Chief Wilson promoted to Fire Captain in CZU at the Soquel Station. In 2009, he moved to CZU’s training battalion where he became deeply involved with the Santa Cruz County Fire Department program. He was a member of the Statewide Training Advisory Work Group from 2006-2016. In 2011, Chief Wilson promoted to Battalion Chief supervising CZU’s Training Battalion. In his time as CZU’s Training Chief, he was active with the Santa Cruz County Training Officers Association. In 2016, Chief Wilson left the fire service for the private sector, building a concept into a successful business in his community.
In early 2022, Chief Wilson returned to CAL FIRE in the Santa Cruz County Fire Department Battalion Chief position. In May 2022, Chief Wilson promoted to Deputy Chief of State Operations within CZU, overseeing state operations, Santa Cruz County Fire, and the Pajaro Valley Fire Protection District.
Throughout his career, Chief Wilson has worked on numerous committees, working groups, and cadres at the local and statewide levels; most recently participating as a member of the 7700 Working Group. Chief Wilson holds an Associate Degree in Fire Science and is a Liaison Officer trainee.
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Open Burn Status
All year, various burn permits are required within all areas of San Mateo County Fire Department and CAL FIRE having jurisdictional authority. Types of permits are described below. All permits can be applied for online at burnpermits.fire.ca.gov.
Open Burning
Certain types of open burning are allowable in San Mateo County. All open burning regulations are regulated by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and require a CAL FIRE permit.
Backyard Burning
All backyard burning is prohibited throughout San Mateo County.
Broadcast Burning
Broadcast Burning is the controlled application of fire to the land to reduce wildfire hazards, clear downed trees, control plant diseases, improve rangeland and wildlife habitats, and restore natural ecosystems as outlined in Public Resources Code 4491-4494. This type of burning is sometimes called a controlled burn, prescribed fire, or prescribed burning and is one of the most important tools used to manage fire today. As catastrophic wildfires continue to be a growing concern in California, the use of prescribed burning to reduce hazardous fuels is projected to increase. Daily burn decisions are issued based on the forecast of air quality and meteorological conditions that can affect smoke dispersion. Certain types of projects may require CEQA approval. For more information check out the Prescribed Fires website.
Permit terms are dependent on the size and type of project. Contact CAL FIRE for more details.