Pile burning planned
A series of controlled burns will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday near Figueroa Mountain and other forest locations in Santa Barbara County.
It’s a prescribed pile burning of 1-10 treated acres of slash from felled dead trees and brush. The goal is to reduce the risk of wildfire.
Planned fires tend to burn less intensely than wildfires, according to a news release. The burn will be conducted when the meteorological conditions are best to direct smoke away from highly populated areas.
If weather and air quality are not as desired for smoke dispersal, the burn will be rescheduled.
This prescribed burn is planned and coordinated by Los Padres National Forest with air pollution control districts in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and the San Joaquin Valley. The coordination also involves the California Air Resources Board, and the goal is to minimize impacts on air quality on surrounding communities.
This burn depends on weather and air quality conditions that are favorable for smoke dispersal. If the conditions are not as desired, the burn will be rescheduled, according to the news release.
— Katherine Zehnder
