Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit will conduct a control burn on Morgan Valley Road near the location of the Homestake Mine on Wednesday, July 7.
The prescribed control burn will be conducted between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Prescribed burns are carefully planned and controlled burns which must meet strict criteria of ecological benefit, weather parameters, smoke management and fire safety guidelines, officials reported.
When all conditions and prescriptions are met, trained wildland firefighters manage the control burn while monitoring the set criteria, fire behavior and designated fire control lines.
The benefits of low intensity fire in the natural environment include cleansing of wildland debris. Cal Fire reported that excessive dead and down branches, brush and small trees are burned converting fuels that are hazards in the summer into rich soil nutrients for larger species of vegetation.
The controlled burns also provide habitat. Removal of decadent fuel encourages the growth of seasonal
grasses and leafier plants which affords highly nutritional food and habitat to a wider range of animals.
Low intensity fire also helps eliminate and control diseased plants and trees, encourages the healthy growth of new plants – especially those fire dependent for renewal or seed dispersion – and decreases the size and frequency of large uncontrolled destructive wildfires. Prescribed burns also are safer for firefighters and area residents.
For more information about fire safety or prescribed fire visit www.fire.ca.gov.
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