A prescribed burn of 289 acres of brush and oak understory will take place near Tepusquet Road in Tepusquet Canyon, east of Santa Maria, Friday-Saturday, Nov. 6-8, depending on conditions.
The burning on Friday will be limited to 26 acres between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Up to 263 acres will be burned on Saturday and/or Sunday, Nov. 7-8, according to the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD).
The burn is part of an ongoing management effort to control non-native grasses and establish native bluff scrub vegetation, APCD officials said. Prescribed fires typically burn less intensely than wildfires and can help prevent their spread, they said.
The burn will be conducted when the meteorological conditions are highly favorable to direct smoke away from population centers.
To minimize air quality impacts, the prescribed burns are planned and coordinated by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department with the APCDs of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties, San Joaquin Valley APCD, and the California Air Resources Board.
If you smell smoke, take precautions and use common sense to reduce any harmful health effects by limiting outdoor activities, the APCD said. When you can smell smoke, or when it is visible in your area, avoid strenuous outdoor activity and remain indoors as much as possible.
These precautions are especially important to children, older adults, and those with heart and lung conditions. Individuals who are sensitive to smoke should consider temporarily relocating and closing all doors and windows on burn days.
Symptoms of smoke exposure can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest tightness or pain, nausea, and unusual fatigue or lightheadedness. Use caution when driving near prescribed burns.
A portable monitor will be set up nearby to monitor air quality conditions.
The burn depends on weather and air quality conditions that are favorable for smoke dispersal. If conditions are not as desired, the burn will be rescheduled.
To view all available information about this prescribed burn, as well as upcoming and past
prescribed burns, on APCD’s new Prescribed Burns Map.