Prescribed Burning in Camino Cielo Ridge Area to Start This Month

The U.S. Forest Service for the Los Padres National Forest has  scheduled prescribed burning to start this month in the Camino Cielo Ridge Area near Painted Cave  Road and Highway 154.

This area includes burn areas near Painted Cave, Haney East, and Haney West  (see maps), for approximately 57 combined acres of burning. This prescribed burning is part of the Santa  Barbara Community Defense Zone project. The goal of the burns is to reduce hazardous fuels to reduce  the risk of wildfire. Prescribed, or planned, fires typically burn less intensely than wildfires.  

If weather and air quality conditions allow, burning is expected to start on January 18 and occur over  consecutive days for approximately two weeks. The burn locations will be staffed 24/7 if there is heat or  smoke present. Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) staff have reviewed the  Smoke Management Plan and provided conditions to minimize smoke impacts in Santa Barbara County.  The burns will be conducted when the meteorological conditions are highly favorable to direct smoke  away from population centers.  

These prescribed burns are planned and coordinated by the Santa Barbara County APCD, San Luis  Obispo County APCD, San Joaquin Valley APCD, Ventura County APCD, and the California Air Resources  Board to minimize impacts on air quality on surrounding communities. Other partners include the Santa  Barbara County Fire Department, CAL FIRE, Chumash Fire, and The Nature Conservancy. The burns are dependent on weather and air quality conditions that are favorable to smoke dispersion. If the  conditions are not as desired, the burns will be rescheduled.  

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 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