Prescribed Burn Planned For Monterey County
Big Sur, CA – Conditions and weather permitting, CAL FIRE plans to conduct a broadcast burn at Andrew Molera State Park in Monterey County on December 13th, 2023. The project aims to restore the Coastal Prairie Plant Community in Andrew Molera State Park that has diminished due to competition from non-native grasses, encroachment by scrub, and lack of frequent, low intensity fires. The reintroduction of fire to the landscape also has the potential to enhance fire safety by reducing high fuel density.
This prescribed fire project was planned as part of broader strategic efforts to protect the local community and nearby natural resources. These plans are informed by community and local stakeholder input and serveas a collaborativeeffort with various cooperators throughout the project. This project adds to significant work underway throughout the state. It brings California closer to meeting or exceeding state fuel reduction goals directed by the California Fire Plan and the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan.
Each operation follows a specialized burn plan, whichconsiders temperature,humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, and conditions for the 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 ignition, depending on the project size, conditions, and weather. Prescribed fire smoke is generally less intense and of much shorter durationthan smoke produced by wildland fires.
Smoke from this control burn will be visible from the Monterey Peninsula and surrounding cities. 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 the burn takes place inappropriate weather conditions; the project may be postponed if conditions are not conducive to a safe burn.
To track the progress being made, both in your community and throughout California, please visit the CAL FIRE fuels reductiondashboard at https://www.fire.ca.gov/what-we- do/natural-resource-management/fuels-reduction and help share important preventing and preparedness information with your neighbors at readyforwildfire.org
To be added to the Prescribed Fire Notification list,
Send a request to BEU.ResourceManagement@fire.ca.gov or scan the QR code.
For additional information on preparing for and preventing wildfires, visitwww.ReadyForWildfire.org.