By SPENCER GORDON
A prescribed burn of piles of dead vegetation is planned to take place in 2025 at Kenneth S. Norris Rancho Marino Reserve. The main objective of the project is to reduce wildfire risks to the community of Cambria and improve the health of the Monterey pine forest. This initiative is spearheaded by the Upper Salinas-Las Tablas Resource Conservation District in collaboration with the University of California Natural Reserves System and Camp Ocean Pines with funding from CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Prevention Grants Program.
With wildfire season becoming an increasing concern across California, local efforts to reduce fire risk are more crucial than ever. This project is one example of a regional effort to protect the health of rare Monterey pine habitat while reducing the fuel load, creating safer conditions for firefighters to combat wildfires. Burning piles is just one component of a larger effort that began with the inception of this project in April 2024. Since then, hand crews have been working under the guidance of a registered professional forester and environmental consultants to selectively thin the forest by removing dead wood and portions of live vegetation that serve as fuel for wildfires. Most of the fuel was hauled offsite, chipped, and repurposed at a local avocado farm. However, not all the fuel could be removed, so the remaining material was arranged into piles of dead vegetation to be subsequently burned.
The USLTRCD is working closely with local regulators and experts to ensure a safe and successful pile burn, including coordinating with the County Air Pollution Control District to minimize smoke impacts to the community. Community members are encouraged to visit the County APCD’s website, SLOCleanAir.org, to monitor their neighborhood air quality and find helpful resources on prescribed burning and protecting their health if smoke is present. Additionally, the USLTRCD is working closely with CAL FIRE to ensure that burning will occur only when weather and fuel conditions allow for safe and successful burning.
The same crew that constructed the piles will also be responsible for lighting them. Firestorm, a highly regarded private firefighting organization in California, brings nearly 30 years of expertise to this project. Their crews and engines carry out controlled burns and forestry health projects across thousands of acres each year. Firestorm also has extensive experience in wildland fire suppression and emergency response across the country.
The windows of opportunity to burn the piles is dependent on weather conditions and could take place as soon as January 2025 or as late as winter/spring of 2026. Weather will be monitored closely to identify a safe burn window so that Firestorm can burn in optimal conditions. If there are any questions about this project, please contact the Upper Salinas – Las Tablas Resource Conservation District at (805) 460-7272.
