Register for prescribed fire information through CruzAware, by checking the Prescribed burn in your notifications area. The County, Calfire and State Parks as well as other partners will ONLY issue email notifications to those registered in CruzAware.
KEY RESOURCES:
California State Parks – Santa Cruz District Prescribed Burns
Monterey Bay Air Resources Control District – Active Prescribed Burn Page
WHY is this important?
Prescribed Fire
A prescribed fire is a planned fire. A prescribed fire can also be called a “prescribed burn,” “controlled burn,” or “planned burn.” The objective of a prescribed fire is to control the application of fire to a specific area of land, which also considers the safety of the public, fire personnel, and weather. The goals of a prescribed fire include reducing wildfire hazards, clearing downed trees, reducing hazardous ladder fuels from forest understory, restoring natural ecosystems, and diversifying wildlife habitats.
Goals and Objectives
Prescribed fire is an important tool to manage fire. A prescription for each controlled fire is prepared in advance, and has a clear set of goals for the objectives, size, environmental restrictions of the burn, and the conditions in which the fire may be suppressed.
Prescribed fire is also an effective way to remove or reduce vegetation that can become fuel for wildfires. For example, brush, shrubs, leaves, branches and trees are fuel for fires, and can increase risk, make a wildfire more destructive and endanger communities and wildlands. The controlled application of fire can help prevent wildfires by modifying how fires are spread, reducing the intensity of wildfires when they do occur, and encouraging new growth of native vegetation.
Management
Prescribed fires in our area are primarily managed by CalFire in partnership with State Parks, and other large land owners. With the new Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument the U.S. Forest Service may begin implementing this tool on their lands as well. The state and federal agencies work in partnership with local communities, and landowners to oversee safe and effective execution of prescribed fires. Firefighters monitor the controlled burn at low-to moderate-intensity, and the growth of the fire throughout the process.
Additional Resources
- Alert California – Live feeds from cameras deployed throughout California
- CalFire – The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is the fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in California.
- California Air Resources Board (CARB) – Oversees all air pollution control efforts in California and the lead agency for climate change.
- California Prescribed Burn Association – Community based, mutual aid networks that provide contact information and resources for prescribed fires.
- California Smoke Spotter app – Mobile app for fire mapping and smoke forecasting (available in English and Spanish)
- California State Parks – Santa Cruz District Prescribed Burns
- California Wildfire & Forest Resilience – Task Force to align the activities of the federal, state, local, public, private, and tribal organizations to forest management and community protection efforts.
- Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County – Education, action, and resources to mobilize Santa Cruz County residents to protect their lives, homes, community, and environment from wildfire.
- National Park Service: Prescribed Fire – The agency of the United States federal government, within the U.S. Department of the Interior, that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properties.
- Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County – Assist Santa Cruz County communities to protect, conserve, and restore national resources.
- Santa Cruz County Fire Department – Fire Station locations and resources in the County of Santa Cruz.
- UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network – UC campus network of specialists, advisors, and staff who inspire, empower, and connect Californians to research, training, and tools needed to live with fire in California.
- US Forest Service: Prescribed Fire – The agency of the United States federal government, within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that manages national forests and grasslands.
