NOVEMBER 1 UPDATE: Firefighters will continue the wildfire prevention work at China Camp State Park with a second prescribed fire on Thursday, November 2, between 9 AM and 4 PM.
The Marin County Fire Department is planning to conduct prescribed fire operations on Friday, October 20, or soon after, when conditions allow, at China Camp State Park in cooperation with California State Parks and the San Rafael Fire Department.
Portions of the McNears Fire Trail and Oak Ridge Trail may be temporarily closed on the day of the burn and for one to three days thereafter, depending on conditions. People traveling near the park and in adjacent communities in eastern San Rafael may see smoke from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the day of the burn, and limited smoke on subsequent days.
Visitors should use extreme caution while recreating near-prescribed fire operations due to fire personnel and equipment in the area. The community is asked to refrain from calling 911 to report smoke from the burn area. Only call 911 if there is an emergency.
Prescribed fire is conducted on designated permissive burn days as determined by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to minimize the smoke impacts on surrounding communities. All burning depends on weather and air quality conditions that are favorable for smoke dispersal. If the conditions, such as weather or staffing are not conducive for burning, the burns will be rescheduled.
The planned burns are part of the park’s prescribed fire program for vegetation management, hazardous fuel reduction, wildlife habitat improvement and other ecological benefits. The prescribed fire follows decades of collaborative stewardship work in the park between Marin County Fire and California State Parks. The treatment is aimed at preserving the park’s oak woodlands and grasslands while reducing the threat of wildfire to the surrounding communities. Over the past two years, fuel reduction work in the park has been undertaken in preparation for this burn and future burns with funding from the State Parks Wildfire and Forest Resilience Program as well as the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, in partnership with San Rafael Fire Department.