UPDATE (6/20/22 @ 4:30 p.m.)
The prescribed burn previously scheduled for Saturday, June 11 will now take place on Saturday, June 25. All other details outlined below remain the same.
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UPDATE (6/10/22 @ 3:30 p.m.)
Despite favorable conditions for a successful prescribed fire for vegetation management purposes, the previously planned prescribed burn on Old Redwood Highway for tomorrow morning, Saturday, June 11, has been canceled due to the "No Burn Day" issued by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The prescribed burn will be rescheduled at a later date.
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ORIGINAL MESSAGE (6/8/22)
The Santa Rosa Fire Department in cooperation with CAL FIRE and Caltrans will conduct a controlled burn on a 9.73-acre State-owned parcel located to the east of Old Redwood Highway just north of Mendocino Avenue on Saturday, June 11, starting in the morning when it’s cooler and the conditions are favorable. The burn will serve as a vegetation management project and training opportunity for firefighters.
These prescribed vegetation management burns are carefully planned and must meet strict criteria for ecological benefit, weather parameters, smoke management, and fire safety guidelines. When all conditions are met, trained wildland firefighters conduct the burn while monitoring the set criteria, fire behavior, and designated fire control lines. When the burn is completed, crews will monitor and patrol the project into the night and over several days. The prescribed burn will comply with the requirements of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. If at any time, firefighters feel the conditions are unsafe to continue, the activities will be suspended.
Benefits of low-intensity prescribed burning include:
- Cleansing of wildland debris. Excessive dead and down branches, brush, and other fuels are burned, converting fuels that are hazards in the summer into rich soil nutrients.
- Ecological Restoration. Putting low-intensity fire back on the land helps protect and improve habitat for wildlife and optimizes soil and water productivity, and can also help control or eliminate noxious, invasive plants.
- Ecosystem Health. Low-intensity fire helps eliminate and control diseased plants and trees.
- New Growth. Controlled burning encourages the healthy growth of new plants, especially those that are dependent on fire for renewal or seed dispersion.
- Reduced opportunity for destructive fires. Controlled burns can decrease the size and frequency of large, uncontrolled destructive wildfires.
The anticipated time for the burn is 9:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. with a majority of the burning occurring in the morning and before noon. The exact timing will be based on weather conditions Saturday morning. Community members can expect to see smoke in the air during this time along with fire apparatus in the area while the prescribed burn is taking place. A lane closure will be in place in the area to safely accommodate the firefighters in the area.
For more information about what to do to be better prepared for fire season, visit srcity.org/WildfireReady and srcity.org/ReadySR.