Cal Fire plans prescribed burn at Morro Dunes reserve
Smoke may be visible during multiple burn days in August
– Cal Fire’s San Luis Obispo Unit plans to conduct a prescribed burn at the Morro Dunes Ecological Reserve’s Bayview Unit in Los Osos as part of an ongoing habitat restoration project.
Cal Fire will conduct the operation in collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District.
Fire personnel plan to burn piles of cut vegetation from Aug. 18-20, weather permitting. The amount of vegetation being removed will require multiple burn days. Cal Fire also anticipates burning from Aug. 24-27 if weather and other conditions allow.
The operation aims to promote the regeneration of three rare, threatened, or endangered plant species that depend on or benefit from fire: Bishop pine, Morro manzanita, and Indian Knob mountainbalm.
The project will also reduce accumulated flammable vegetation to support community wildfire defense.
Fire personnel will remain at the site throughout the operation and will conduct the burns under favorable weather conditions. Smoke may be visible in surrounding areas. Officials advised residents not to report the fire unless an emergency unrelated to the prescribed burn occurs.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Cal Fire said they use prescribed burning and interagency collaboration to reduce wildfire risk and manage the land.
