MEDIA ADVISORY
November 5, 2019
Contacts:
Daniel Bertucelli, Public Information Officer, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, (805) 681-5531
Lyz Hoffman, Public Information Officer, Santa Barbara County APCD, (805) 961-8819
Righetti Ranch Prescribed Burn to Occur Tomorrow
Follow-Up Burn to 2018 Burn
WHAT: Prescribed burn of approximately 80 acres of sage scrub and chaparral. This prescribed burn is a follow-up burn to a successful 300-acre burn that occurred at the Righetti Ranch in November 2018.
WHEN: Wednesday, November 6. Burning will begin at approximately 8 a.m. and conclude by 6 p.m. on a permissive burn day.
WHERE: Righetti Ranch south of Orcutt, between Highway 135 and Vandenberg Air Force Base.
WHY: The goal of this one-day burn is to improve rangeland and reduce the risk of wildfire. Prescribed, or planned, fires typically burn less intensely than wildfires. The burn will be conducted when the meteorological conditions are highly favorable to direct smoke away from population centers. No agricultural or residential burning will occur during the prescribed burn.
WHO: This vegetation management prescribed burn is being planned and conducted on private land in coordination with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD), and the California Air Resources Board in order to minimize impacts on air quality on surrounding communities. APCD staff have reviewed the Smoke Management Plan and provided conditions to minimize smoke impacts in Santa Barbara County.
HEALTH PRECAUTIONS: If you smell smoke, take precautions and use common sense to reduce any harmful health effects by limiting outdoor activities. When you can smell smoke or when it is visible in your area, avoid strenuous outdoor activity and remain indoors as much as possible. These precautions are especially important to children, older adults, and those with heart and lung conditions. If you are sensitive to smoke, consider temporarily relocating and closing all doors and windows on the day of the burn. Symptoms of smoke exposure can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest tightness or pain, nausea, and unusual fatigue or lightheadedness. Use caution when driving near prescribed burns.
A portable air quality monitor has been set up in Los Alamos to monitor air quality conditions. Data will be available on the Air Pollution Control District’s website: www.OurAir.org/todays-air-quality/.
To view prescribed burns throughout the state, visit the Prescribed Fire Information Reporting System (PFIRS) website: https://ssl.arb.ca.gov/pfirs/.
This burn depends on weather and air quality conditions that are favorable for smoke dispersal. If the conditions are not as desired, the burn will be rescheduled.
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