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SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. — The Santa Barbara County Fire Department is informing the public of a prescribed burn that will occur in late May or early June. Prescribed fires typically burn less intensely than wildfires. Prescribed burns can help prevent the spread of wildfires and can reduce impacts to watersheds that can result in soil loss and sedimentation.
The upcoming prescribed burn is led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) at the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve. The purpose of the prescribed burn is to facilitate coastal grassland habitat restoration at a 40-acre site at the Preserve. The goal is to remove non-native plants and thatch to clear the area for native plant restoration in the fall. The Nature Conservancy has coordinated the burn with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, who will be present at the burn.
The burn is planned for one day between May 27-30. If conditions do not allow for burning during this window, the back-up week will be June 9-14. If the burn does not occur during these two windows, the burn will be postponed until Fall 2025. The 40-acre site consists primarily of non-native annual grasses and noxious weeds like black mustard.
Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) staff review the Smoke Management Plans and provide conditions to minimize smoke impacts in Santa Barbara County. The burn will occur when the meteorological conditions are highly favorable to direct smoke away from population centers. Once the burn day has been selected, a media advisory will be issued.
The prescribed burn is conducted independent of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. The burn is planned and implemented by a TNC-qualified burn boss in coordination with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Santa Barbara County APCD to minimize impacts on air quality on surrounding communities. The burn is dependent on weather and air quality conditions that are favorable to smoke dispersion. If the conditions are not as desired, the burn will be rescheduled or cancelled.
Due to changing winds and weather conditions, it is difficult to predict which areas of the county, if any, may be most affected by smoke from the burn. If you smell smoke, take precautions and use common sense to reduce any harmful health effects by limiting outdoor activities. When you can smell smoke or when it is visible in your area, avoid strenuous outdoor activity and remain indoors as much as possible.
These precautions are especially important to children, older adults, and those with heart and lung conditions. Use caution when driving near prescribed burns due to reduced visibility.
For more information regarding the County’s air quality, visit http://www.OurAir.org.
To view a statewide prescribed burn map and other features, visit the Prescribed Fire Information Reporting System (PFIRS) website: https://ssl.arb.ca.gov/pfirs/firm/firm.php
