Smoke could be visible around various state parks in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties due to scheduled pile burns over the next six weeks.
The burns are scheduled to occur as safe between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. through April. The piles will be carefully monitored until they are cold and extinguished, and they are permitted, planned and coordinated with the Monterey Bay Air Resources District and Bay Area Air Quality Management Districts to minimize the impact of smoke on nearby communities.
There are roughly 250 piles of vegetation and fuel currently set to be burned. Burns may be rescheduled according to weather and safety concerns. Affected parks include:
- The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park.
- Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park (Fall Creek Unit).
- Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
- Castle Rock State Park.
- Portola Redwoods State Park.
These burns improve biodiversity, forest health and emergency access, minimizing extreme wildfire risk. For more information, visit California State Parks’ Santa Cruz County prescribed burns page.
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