Santa Barbara County Fire perform two-day planned burns in Santa Ynez Valley

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, Calif. -- Santa Barbara County Fire Department is operating a planned burn in Santa Ynez Valley beginning Wednesday morning.

County Fire is burning about 86 acres of grassland and black sage scrub from around 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 4155 Figueroa Mountain Road in Los Olivos.

Their goal is to provide live fire training for the certification of instructors to teach the CA-219 Firing Operations class.

The class is meant to teach both firefighters and private land managers to use fire as a tool to fight large scale wildfires and as a land management tool.

County fire says planned fires typically burns less intensely than wildfires.

By utilizing these burns, firefighters and landowners can prevent the spread of wildfires and reduce the impacts to watershed that could result in soil loss and sedimentation.

Santa Barbara County Fire is working with the Santa Barbara County APCD, San Luis Obispo County APCD, San Joaquin Valley APCD, Ventura County APCD, and the California Air Resources Board. County Fire says they will work collectively to help minimize impacts on air quality on surrounding communities.

Fires are planned for Thursday as well.