California State Parks, Cal Fire and local fire agencies will conduct prescribed burns in the Mitchell Canyon area of Mount Diablo State Park one or more days between May 13 and June 7.
State park officials said that if weather or vegetation conditions aren’t conducive for burning and smoke dispersal, the burn will be rescheduled.
Visitors should expect park closures during the burn, including the park entrance at Mitchell Canyon and access point at Regency Drive.
The following trails will also be closed: Mitchell Canyon Fire Road, Bruce Lee Road, Water Tower Road, Murchio Road, Oak Road, Coulter Pine Trail, Mitchell Rock Trail, Back Creek Road, Regency Trail, Donner Canyon Road and Clayton Oaks Trail.
Other park roads, trails, and facilities outside of the burn area will remain open. For a current list of all park closures, the public can visit parks.ca.gov/Incidents.
The burn will cover up to 45 acres in the Mitchell Canyon area. Although prescribed burns produce significantly less smoke than wildfires, communities near Mount Diablo, including Clayton, may experience smoke from the burning operations.
All burns are coordinated and planned with the help of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and California State Parks will coordinate with the air district to minimize smoke in surrounding communities.
The burns aim to benefit the park and its neighbors by enhancing habitats, managing invasive species, reducing wildfire risk, reducing encroaching woody vegetation, improving wildlife habitat, promoting native plant diversity and restoring the natural fire regime.
Park staff will be available to provide information and answer questions at an online open house session on from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on May 9 at https://bit.ly/44oGsv3.
13 comments
And we can’t have a fireplaces. I’m sure this smoke is totally healthier. Spare the air days are such a government over reach and hypocritical.
..agree …a few years ago I took the AQMD director to task asking the criteria specifically used to call a “spare the air day” …. after days of smoke and mirrors it was extremely clear its purely subjective (they don’t use the website Purple Air either) …. another point I raised is that it was ok for restaurants to use fires (for cooking, esthetics, etc.) but not homeowners? …no good answer to that one either … not sure how they get in position but we need to get them out
Rules for thee, not for me!!
I seem to notice that these “spare the air days” are almost always issued before holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tells me it’s politically motivated.
What could go wrong?!
Control burns can be a good thing unless they become uncontrolled burns. Hope the State plans on cutting the fire breaks around Dana Hills and Regency Woods before these burns commence. Might have to send them a not so gentle reminder again!
Can burns get out of control and spread?
Yes
Can burns be used for fire breaks and great training?
Yes
What is the risk vs reward?
I wish that they would burn the hills behind my house.
Better that the homeless or fireworks causing it to burn
I love the smell of burning poison oak in the morning….
Would be nice not to have a repeat of 6,000 acre fire on Mt. Diablo in 1977 or 4,000 acre 2013 fire .
Agreed. Which is why these control burns are helpful.
Mt. Diablo got more than an inch of rain yesterday. I doubt that the controlled burn will get out of hand.
I can’t forget the fire on the mountain in 2013. I drove up to the top parking lot wondering about the source of the smoke I was seeing as I drove. When I got to the top, I saw people looking down the east side toward a localized patch of smoke well down the mountainside. After I went home, the fire spread quickly up the east and sounth sides of the mountain. It was amazing to see the flames burning through the night. Hopefully, the controlled burn will prevent a recurrence of the 2013 event.
There is a “Bruce Lee Road” on Diablo?
What’s that all about?
If nobody knows I will accept WAGs.
Maybe some Asian martial arts assassin school hidden up there in the forest?
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