If conditions permit, on Thursday, Oct. 24, the Plumas Underburn Cooperative will be supporting a landowner with broadcast burning in Valley Ranch, report organizers. This burn will be conducted by citizens and wildland fire professionals in order to reduce fire hazards in the neighborhood near Clio.
PUC member Hannah Hepner is assisting the landowners with planning and implementation of the burn. “This community was under evacuation during this summer’s Gold Complex,” said Hepner. “These landowners are taking initiative to reduce their risks and provide community protection.”
Landowner Cathy Linden, who has a background in range management, said, “The burn is also intended to increase the health of the meadow ecosystem on the property.” The burn is part of a larger effort to manage the property for fire safety and forest health.
As opposed to smoke from wildfires, smoke impacts from prescribed fire can be mitigated by burning in favorable fuel and wind conditions. Considerations are in place to reduce smoke impacts to communities from this event. This burn is permitted by the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Air quality information is available at the Fire and Smoke Map, http://www.AirNow.gov and myairdistrict.com.
Local fire and air quality agencies have been notified. Organizers request that the community not report the fire to emergency services.
Household air purifiers are available on a short-term loan basis. More information is available by emailing [email protected].
If the group cannot implement the burn Thursday, it may be postponed to later in the week or the following weeks.
Plumas Underburn Cooperative is a program of Plumas County Fire Safe Council and Feather River Resource Conservation District. The organization is volunteer-based and organized with the intention of promoting safe communities and resilient forests and landscapes, and making prescribed fire of use to anyone in Plumas County. The Watershed Research and Training Center is organizing the burn in conjunction with PUC.
Information provided by Plumas Underburn Cooperative
