RELEASE DATE:10-23-2
Prescribed Burn Planned for Monterey County
Salinas, CA – CAL FIRE plans to conduct a 500 to 1000 acres prescribed burn on private property in the Gabilan Range east of the city of Salinas, Monterey County on Monday, Oct 24th, 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 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.
San Jose State University Fire Weather Lab will be conducting experiments to improve wildfire predictions and modeling of fire behavior. This study will be used to better predict the movement of wildfires and warn the public in the case of a wildfire. This will be the first time Scientists will be able to monitor fire burning up a canyon with all their instruments placed inside of the canyon.
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 Salinas Valley, Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, and Pinnacles National Park. Weather conditions will be monitored, CAL FIRE is in close consultation with the National Weather Service’s Monterey office and Monterey Bay Air Resources District to ensure that the burn takes place in appropriate weather conditions.
San Benito-Monterey Unit CAL FIIRE NEWS RELEASE
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
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.
CONTACT: CALFIRE BEU MEDIA LINE (831)647-6257
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