Designated permissive burn days are determined by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The Marin County Fire Department on Wednesday will be conducting a prescribed burn at China Camp State Park in San Rafael, in cooperation with California State Parks. Those traveling near the park and communities located in eastern San Rafael on Oct. 18 may see smoke from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and residual smoke in the days following.
Both the McNears Fire Trail and Oak Ridge Trail may be temporarily closed on the day of the burn and up to three days afterward. Visitors to the park should be extremely cautious when near the prescribed fire operations, say county officials.
The community is being alerted to the prescribed burn ahead of time to prevent unwanted 911 calls in regard to the smoke around the burn area. Call 911 only if there is an emergency.
Designated permissive burn days are determined by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to minimize the smoke impact on the surrounding communities. Weather and air quality, as well as staffing, must be ideal in order for the prescribed burn to happen. If these conditions are not met, then the burns will be rescheduled.
According to a Marin County news release, the planned burns are part of the park’s prescribed fire program for vegetation management, hazardous-fuel reduction, wildlife habitat improvement and other ecological benefits. This is part of a decades-long collaboration between Marin County Fire and California State Parks.
The treatment is aimed at preserving the park’s oak woodlands and grasslands while reducing the threat of wildfire to the surrounding communities, said the release.
