U.S. Forest Service Starts Increasing Prescribed Burns in Angeles National Forest Above Monrovia

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The U.S. Forest Service has started increasing its annual prescribed burning operations on the Angeles National Forest to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire to people and communities across the Southland.

The burning operations were also designed to foster a healthier ecosystem and minimize the effects of large wildfires on the landscape, according to U.S. Forest Service spokesman Nathan Judy.

When these burns occur, information signs will be posted along the roadways to alert the public to the burning activity and subsequent visible smoke in the area. Information will also be posted on forest/monument's accounts https://twitter.com/Angeles_NF or https://www.facebook.com/angelesnationalforest.

Forest service officials have implemented fuels and vegetation management projects throughout the year, some of which were in preparation for the prescribed fires, Judy said. The prescribed fire program will continue through the winter and spring months as permitted by weather and other environmental factors.

When implementing these projects fire managers follow a burn plan that outlines the "prescription" or environmental conditions such as temperature, wind, fuel moisture, ventilation and relative humidity that need to be present before the project begins, Judy continued. When the criteria are met, crews will implement, monitor, and patrol each burn to ensure it meets the goals and objectives outlined by managers.

Prescribed fires including both understory and pile burning are intended to reduce the amount of vegetation, such as needles, small plants, brush, and small trees which can carry fire from the forest floor into the treetops. Studies and experience have shown that prescribed fires stimulate the growth of grasses and shrubs that provide food for deer, mountain quail and other wildlife, Judy said.

-- City News Service, photo via Wikimedia Commons