Mendocino National Forest Plans Prescribed Burns Near Clear Lake
Press release from the Mendocino National Forest:
Conditions have been ideal for prescribed fire with cool temperatures and wet weather. Dry and warmer weather returns Friday through the weekend, but an active weather pattern is in the forecast for next week. Forest fire and fuels staff will look for additional burning opportunities next week pending favorable conditions.
Beginning March 10-16 firefighters on the Upper Lake Ranger District plan to burn potentially 96 acres of piles along the roadside in the Bartlett Springs area, located northeast of North Shore communities Nice and Lucerne.
There is potential for smoke to settle in the communities of Nice, Lucerne, Glenhaven and other locations around Clear Lake. Smoke may be visible along the Hwy 20 corridor. Visibility on roads may be reduced, especially early in the morning and late evening as smoke settles.
Firefighters will be closely monitoring weather and will use wind direction, time of day and inversion levels to minimize impacts from smoke as much as possible. All prescribed fire operations are approved by Lake County Air Quality Management District before beginning ignitions, and firefighters will carefully monitor and conduct patrols throughout burning operations.
This prescribed fire is part of an effort to reduce risks from hazard trees and maintain public safety and access for both the public and emergency personnel. Standing dead trees along roadsides have been cut and piled. Burning roadside piles will reduce hazardous fuels and is a critical step to prepare sites for reforestation.
More information about Mendocino National Forest’s prescribed fire operations is available online at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/
incident-information/camnf- mendocino-nf-fall-2024spring- 2025-prescribed-fire-projects. Questions can be directed to Forest Public Affairs Officer, Laura Leidner, [email protected] or (530) 884-4325.
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Just a question with all the recent studies showing the dangers of wildfire smoke and the clean air board running around trying to fine people for not having dpfs on chickens and the like , how is it that government agencies are able to burn their garbage on days when as per this press release smoke may settle down around populated areas ? I could understand burning out away from civilian populations but really when do people get to breath smoke free air ? And since it had been discovered to be more dangerous then previously believed , how is it that government agencies can promote this sort of thing knowing full well that it is harming the health of those living around it ?
“Burn their garbage”? Your ignorance is on public display.
“FYI pre-settlement California wildfires averaged 5 million acres a year. Historical accounts stated that the air always had smoke in it from June through October. This is because wildfire is a natural part of the ecosystem.
The quantity and quality of smoke from prescribed fire is orders of magnitude better than that from a wildfire. Remember 2020? Because that is the result of our societal failure to lets the forests maintain themselves through wildfire.
If you want “smoke free air” I recommend you move to a place with less vegetation and infrequent fire return. Maybe the desert?
Mendocino National Forest is following Green Diamond’s lead in calling cleaning up old burn piles “prescribed burns”.
Well normally when a org or group or person does something that creates harm or hazard they are responsible. Have we reached the point in government where they can do whatever best fits their budgets but the everyday land owner just jump through hoops and bs permits with impact statements and the like ? I mean wtf seriously . There was a story about the cost of clearing middle creek overgrowth where they were saying it was to costly to do it any other way then to burn it . Still bs imho if they had kept up with maintenance it would never gotten so bad , where are the tax dollars going that things get so far out of hand the only way to get them back on course is fire ? I strongly feel that it is intensional miss management just as with the roads over 40 percent of roads in northern California are so bad they are beyond repair meaning that the roads require rebuilding , instead of reconditioning . Wtf that maintenance was paid for by fuel taxes registration fees why are these people still allowed their jobs , any private company someone would be in jail for this sort of thief