Roughly 400 acres of grassland habitats will be included in the prescribed burns and some trails may be closed temporarily to ensure public safety. These may include portions of the Chinquapin Trail, Long Meadow Trail, and Englesman Loop Trail.
These burns are part of the prescribed fire program for vegetation management, hazardous fuel-load reduction, wildlife habitat improvement, and other ecological benefits. They are planned and coordinated with the Monterey Bay Air Quality Management District to minimize smoke impacts to surrounding communities. The treatment will enhance the health of the forest by removing duff, leaf litter, and fuel buildup, restoring essential nutrients to the soil, and reducing the chance of wildfires.
WHAT TO DO: If you are affected by air-quality issues, stay indoors or leave the immediate area. Close windows until the burn has concluded. You can find information on the Air Quality Index (AQI) and local air-monitoring resources online. In addition, Environmental Health & Safety provides information on wildfire smoke and ways to protect yourself.
Campus affiliates with respiratory illness, other medical conditions that may be exacerbated by smoke exposure, and any others that may be concerned about their smoke particulate exposure may pick up filtering masks (N95s) from the following locations:
- McHenry Library: Circulation Desk
- Science and Engineering Library: Circulation Desk
For more information, please visit our wildland fire resource pages:
