Crandall Prescribed Burn on the Stanislaus National Forest

Sonora, Calif., (January 21, 2015)… If conditions permit, the Stanislaus National Forest will conduct a prescribed burn on the Mi-Wok Ranger District, on January 21.

The project is located in the Italian Bar area (Road 3n24) - North of the South Fork River and South of Deer Creek. Smoke may be visible along Hwy 108 in the Mi-Wuk or Long Barn as a result. Thirty acres will be ignited today with an additional 70 acres to follow when conditions line up favorably.

Prescribed burns are conducted under precise weather and fuel moisture conditions called a prescription. “Removing excess fuel is one of our main goals,” said Chris Schow, Fire Management Officer for the Stanislaus. “Lighter fuel loads help us to make nearby communities like Sugar Pine and Mi-Wuk more fire resilient.”

Prescribed burns are an effective, cost-efficient method of reducing flammable forest fuels. “As we reintroduce fire back onto the landscape,” said Chris, “we have the opportunity to enhance wildlife habitat while improving overall ecosystem health.”

Planned fires enable the Forest Service to be proactive in removing ground fuels in a carefully monitored environment. Weather conditions are selected meticulously to help ensure success and crews are on hand to hold the burn within designated boundaries.

“The Crandall Prescribed Burn is a great example of how Forest Leadership is moving forward with restoring ecosystem health to the Stanislaus,” said Scott Tangenberg, Deputy Forest Supervisor. “We are committed to restoring the landscape on the Forest and this burn is a step in the right direction.”

Since this project is a planned event, please do not report it as a wildland fire to our dispatch office.