This week, Cal Fire is continuing its prescribed burn at Camp Maranatha. The burn, consisting of 125 piles of brush and slash, was to occur between Tuesday, March 8, and Wednesday, March 9.
Residents in Idyllwild, Pine Cove and surrounding mountain communities or anyone traveling on Highway 243 may see smoke from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the days of the burn. In the unlikely event you smell smoke, county officials urge you to take precautions to reduce any harmful health effects by limiting outdoor activities.
The final burn dates will be determined by permissive burn day availability and weather. Cal Fire will have multiple resources, including engines, fire crews and overhead personnel, to complete the burn project.
This burn is being conducted as part of the Cal Fire Vegetation Management Program and is intended to reduce hazardous vegetation and wildland fuels in an area considered to be at high risk for large and damaging wildfires. Prescribed burns are conducted to help reduce the wildfire risk and promote biodiversity through the development of young trees, shrubs and grasses in a fire-dependent ecosystem.
The burn was planned and coordinated with the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the California Air Resources Board in order to minimize the smoke impacts on surrounding communities. The burn is dependent on weather and air-quality conditions that are favorable for smoke dispersal. If the conditions are not as desired, the burn will be rescheduled.
For more information and questions, call Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department Public Affairs Bureau at 951-940-6985.
