If you see smoke over the mountains for the next few weeks, don’t freak out: You’re most likely seeing evidence of a controlled burn being conducted by the Los Padres National Forest team.
The goal of these fires is to eliminate the piled brush and vegetation that’s been recently cut in the Santa Barbara Ranger District. The bushes will be burned in order to reduce hazardous fuels and enhance the health of the forest, and only when the weather conditions are deemed safe.