Prescribed burning operation to begin Monday at Pepperwood’s reserve

SANTA ROSA, Calif. – CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, in partnership with Pepperwood, will conduct a prescribed fire on the nature reserve starting Monday, Nov. 21, or when conditions allow.

Prescribed burning activities will occur in open grasslands and forest understory. The project size is targeting treatment of up to 38 acres to promote healthy forests and reduce wildfire risk on a strategic fire control ridge separating Franz Valley and the Mark West area.

Project objectives also include mimicking natural ecological processes by returning fire to the landscape, promote native plant propagation and wildlife habitat and reduce fuel loading in the forest understory.

Smoke will be visible from multiple vantage points throughout Sonoma and Napa counties from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please do not report the fire to local first responders as they are already aware of the prescribed fire plan.

Prescribed burns are carefully planned and must meet strict criteria for ecological benefit, weather parameters, smoke management and fire safety guidelines. The planned operation is subject to last-minute changes due to those conditions.

When all conditions are met, trained wildland firefighters conduct the burn while monitoring the set criteria, fire behavior and designated fire control lines. The prescribed burn will comply with requirements of the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District.

For information on wildfire safety, please visit us at https://www.readyforwildfire.org/

From the official CAL FIRE Press Release

Take precautions to protect yourself and your family from ill effects of smoke:

– Know when prescribed fires are happening in your area – follow us on social media at @PepperwoodCA and @pepperwoodpreserveca. You can also follow the hashtag #NorthBayTREX22 (Fire Forward program by Audubon Canyon Ranch)
– Use an air filter at home; wear a mask when outdoors
– Plan ahead to be outside less or decrease your physical activity if local air quality is poor
– The Watch Duty app now has prescribed burn information. Using Watch Duty in combination with an app or website about wind (such as windy.com), will alert you to the possibility of smoke moving in from far away. Smoke from prescription burning in other parts of the state or the west can have far-reaching effects.