Lagoon fire at UC Santa Barbara is part of a multi-year project to restore native plant growth

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A prescribed burn at UC Santa Barbara sent smoke into the sky around the campus today.

It is part of a multi-year program to burn off weeds and invasive plants.

From there, a calculated effort takes place to restore the native plants and regenerate seeds. That is being handled by the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. Students working on the project were on site to see the burn and evaluate the results.

The burn was closely monitored by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department with multiple crews in place. It needed to reach a specific heat level to meet the standards of the research project and eliminate grasses and weeds that were unwanted.

The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District approved the burn based on the appropriate conditions for this type of burn in the area of the campus. Smoke could be seen from throughout the campus during the peak of the burn.

The fire covered a quarter acre. It was out by early afternoon.