In collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District, CAL FIRE’s San Luis Obispo Unit will be conducting a prescribed burn at the Morro Dunes Ecological Reserve.
The burn is part of an ecological management program and is linked to an ongoing habitat restoration project.
The prescribed burn will consist of piles of cut vegetation, beginning July 14 as weather conditions allow.
In a press release, CAL FIRE’s San Luis Obispo Unit said that the operation “is designed to promote regeneration of three rare, threatened and endangered plant species that are either fire-dependent or benefit from fire.”
The three plants are the Bishop Pine (Pinus muricata), Morro manzanita (Arctostaphylos morroensis), and Indian Knob mountainbalm (Eriodictyon altissimum).
The project also aims to reduce the accumulation of flammable vegetation that contributes to wildfires and to increase community wildfire defense.
Due to the amount of fuel being removed from the area, this will be an ongoing project with several burn days.
Fire personnel will be present throughout the operation, and smoke may be visible in the surrounding areas.
Residents are advised not to report the fire unless there is an unrelated emergency during this controlled operation.
