APTOS — California State Parks is planning to resume its pile burning efforts in the northern portion of The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park Monday, the agency announced in a release Friday.
As has been the case in the past, the fuel reduction effort is weather and wind dependent. If conditions are not favorable for adequate smoke dispersal and ecological goals, the burn will be rescheduled, according to the release. The burn is permitted, planned and coordinated with the Monterey Bay Air Resources District in order to help minimize smoke impacts to surrounding areas.
According to a forecast from the National Weather Service, rainy conditions are expected to continue Monday and extend through at least Thursday.
In all, about 60 acres of the Mid County forest have been prepared for treatment and are included in the pile burn schedule. Portions of the Aptos Creek fire road may be closed temporarily with pedestrian and bicycle traffic redirected for safety purposes. Residents around Soquel, Corralitos and the surrounding Monterey Bay region may see some smoke on the days of the burning.
The pile burns are part of a broader fuel reduction effort by the state agency that it ultimately hopes will reduce extreme fire behavior if a wildfire were to break out in the Upper Aptos Creek and Buzzard Lagoon areas. Project benefits touted by State Parks include better emergency access, forest health and enhanced biodiversity.
Though prescribed burns produce less smoke than wildfires, according to State Parks, the agency has advised residents that live within close proximity to the pile burn area to avoid strenuous outdoor activity during the burn and to remain indoors as much as possible. This is especially true for children, older adults and people with respiratory and heart conditions, officials noted in the release.
