Cultural Burns Planned This Week in San Luis Obispo

Community members can expect to see smoke near Highway 101 near San Luis Obispo and some related traffic delays for two days next week during planned cultural burns of open space areas.

Two cultural burns will be happening near Highway 101: One at Miossi Open Space near the base of the Cuesta Grade on December 11, 2025, and one at Johnson Ranch Open Space near the Highway 101 exit for Higuera Street on December 12, 2025.

These cultural burns are interagency operations hosted by yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe with support from CAL FIRE/ San Luis Obispo County Fire Department, the City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department, and the SLO County Air Pollution Control District (SLO County APCD). This is a collaborative vegetation management effort that is being continued after previous burns at the Johnson Ranch Open Space were successful and is now being adopted as part of the region’s broader Sustainable SLO efforts to achieve environmental sustainability and resiliency.

Smoke will be present in nearby communities on the day of the prescribed burn. The SLO County APCD will be working collaboratively with all agencies involved to ensure up-to-date air quality information is provided to the public. Children, the elderly, and those that already have a respiratory condition are the most susceptible to the health impacts of smoke and should use caution if they smell smoke.

These cultural burns are dependent on weather and air quality conditions that are favorable for smoke dispersal. If the conditions are not optimal, the burns may be rescheduled.

About Cultural Burns     
Indigenous Tribes of California have had a cultural relationship with fire for over 10,000 years and recognize its role and responsibility to support life on the land. These cultural burns are controlled, often smaller burns, that are led by Indigenous fire practitioners for the purpose of revitalizing plants, reducing wildfire risk, enhancing habitat, and broadly maintaining Indigenous lifeways and native ecosystems. Similar to prescribed burns, cultural burns are an important tool used to minimize fire hazards and the likelihood of uncontrolled future wildfires that would have the potential to induce significant air quality impacts on the local community.

About Sustainable SLO
Cultural burns are supported by the City of San Luis Obispo as a Sustainable SLO effort. Sustainable SLO refers to the City and the broader region’s combined efforts to achieve environmental sustainability and resiliency through strategic action. This includes preserving natural areas, reducing risks associated with a rapidly changing climate, reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, conserving water, and promoting sustainable tourism, business practices, and community engagement. The goal is to make the community and its economy more resilient while maintaining its quality of life for future generations.

SLO County APCD will continue to closely monitor air pollution levels throughout the region. Visit the APCD website to see current air quality conditions and forecasts for SLO County. Sign up to receive air quality text messages through the AirAware text notification system.