Planned burns in Los Padres National Forest begin Wednesday and run until Wednesday of next week

LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Planned burns of about 40 acres of felled dead trees and brush at various locations within the Los Padres National Forest are scheduled to begin Wednesday, May 14 and potentially run until Wednesday, May 21.

Burning operations are expected to begin in the morning and end by the afternoon with some locations expected to burn through the evening to fully remove flammable materials detailed the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (SBCAPCD) in a press release Wednesday.

According to the SBCAPCD, the planned burns are concentrated in the Painted Cave and Trout Club areas and the latest information about where fires are being conducted can be found on the Los Padres National Forest's social media accounts including here.

Each days scheduled fires depend on weather and air quality conditions that favor smoke dispersal and limit the impact on area communities shared the SBCAPCD.

The Los Padres National Forest warns that smoke may be visible from Highway 154 and that the planned or prescribed burns are part of its front country fuels treatment project.

Areas that have had a prescribed burn typically have less intense fires and these proactive measures can also reduce the spread of wildfires and reduce the impact on local watersheds explained the SBCAPCD.

For the latest information on prescribed burns across the state, visit here.