Unit Chief Bill Holmes officially called an end to the 2008 fire season in the Amador-El Dorado Unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on Monday.

The unit includes Amador and El Dorado counties, as well as the eastern foothills of Sacramento County.

Burn permits are not required, but the Air Quality Management District will be determining "burn days" or "no burn days" until May 1, 2009, when burn permits will again be required. Call your local burn information number to make sure it is a permissive burn day, because the Air Pollution Control District still controls whether or not people can burn. The number for Amador County is 223-6246 and El Dorado County is (530) 621-5897.

Sierra Pacific Industry announced its intention to conduct prescribed burns in both counties the first week of November and continuing into next month.

The prescribed burns are located between Salt Springs Road and Highway 88, and north of Shake Ridge and Fiddletown roads. Substantial amounts of smoke will be visible in these areas.

The burns are being conducted to prepare the areas for spring planting and to reduce the threat of wildfire, according to SPI. Several of the burns are part of a cooperative fuel modification program involving CAL FIRE, the U.S. Forest Service and SPI.