Full Notification

   San Benito-Monterey Unit
CONTACT: Matt Stanford Resource Management
Prescribed Burn Planned for San Benito County

Paicines, CA – CAL FIRE plans to conduct a prescribed burn on private property in the Gabilan Range west of the town of Paicines in Mcphails Peak area, San Benito County on 9/27/2022. The purpose of the project is to reintroduce fire into the ecosystem, thereby reducing hazardous fire fuels by removing brush and downed woody debris, enhancing the fire safety. This type of exercise also provides valuable hands-on training for fire personnel in fire suppression activities while working safely in a controlled environment.
Each operation follows a specialized burn plan, which considers temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, and conditions for dispersal of smoke. All this information is used to decide when and where to burn.
Smoke from prescribed fire operations is normal and may continue for several days after an ignition depending on the project size, conditions, and weather. Prescribed fire smoke is generally less intense and of much shorter duration than smoke produced by wildland fires.
Smoke from this control burn will be visible from to Hollister area, Salinas Valley, Paicines Valley and Pinnacles National Park. Weather conditions will be monitored, and burn may be postponed if burning conditions are found to be unfavorable. CAL FIRE is in close consultation with the National Weather Service’s Monterey office and Monterey Bay Air Resources District to ensure that burn takes place in appropriate weather conditions; the project may be postponed if conditions are not conducive to a safe burn.
To be added to the San Benito Monterey Prescribed
Notification List. Please email
[email protected] or scan the QR code
For additional information on preparing for and preventing
wildfires visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.