Cal Fire has suspended all outdoor burning because dry weather this winter has led to a rise in wildfire danger.
The state usually sees a peak in fire danger in summer and fall, but the lack of rain and snow has made this winter different than most.
"We didn't have a choice," Cal Fire spokeswoman Tina Rose said. "You have to cut off the burning. If there is going to be the dry conditions we're experiencing plus north winds, it would be insane not to."
As for rainfall, the Sacramento region experienced the driest January on record. Cal Fire crews said in a matter of seconds, a debris fire can quickly get out of control.
"All up and down Northern California right now, we're seeing fires that we'd not normally see until June," Rose said. "For the last two weeks we've run from one escaped debris pile to another."
In Lincoln, on McCourtney Road, two homes were saved from controlled burns that got out of hand.
Lincoln resident Ron Allbirtain said he just found out about the burn ban.
"It means we can't clear our property like we want to," he said. "Sometimes there are rules we have to follow that we don't like, but it's for our benefit."