Controlled Fire Planned for San Vicente Redwoods

Firefighters on Monday will set fire to five acres in the San Vicente Redwoods open space in Davenport to reduce wildfire fuel, Cal Fire officials said.

The burn, called a prescribed burn, will start at 10 a.m. and last until 4 p.m., according to Cal Fire officials. But smoke may be in the area for 24 hours, Cal Fire officials said.

Fire crews will minimize the impact of smoke on people by conducting the burn under a smoke management permit issued by the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District, Cal Fire officials said.

The fire will also benefit the open space by encouraging the growth of fire-dependent plants and by cycling nutrients in the ecosystem, according to Cal Fire officials.

The burn will take place only if fuel and weather conditions are optimal, according to Cal Fire officials.

During the burn, fire crews will monitor the weather, fire control lines and smoke, Cal Fire officials said.

After the burn, researchers will continue with research in the area being paid for by Save the Redwoods League, Sempervirens Fund and Peninsula Open Space Trust, Cal Fire officials said.

The three groups are paying for research by the Amah Mutsun Land Trust into the use of prescribed burns for fire safety, managing vegetation and improving ethnobotanical resources, according to Cal Fire officials.

The Amah Mutsun Land Trust is a group dedicated to restoring the lands of the Popeloutchom, more commonly known as the Ohlone people.

--Bay City News Service, photo via Shutterstock