Controlled burns began Wednesday in the San Bernardino National Forest near Idyllwild, where federal fighters ignited piles of dead vegetation and began removing excess foliage as autumn rains settled over the region.
A prescribed burn was initiated Wednesday morning close to the Alandale Fire Station off of Highway 243 in the San Jacinto Ranger District, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Smoke columns were spotted by area motorists and others, who called 911 to report what they believed was a brush fire, according to the California Highway Patrol. The callers were assured it was a monitored operation with no danger to the public.
“The (forest management) program considers wind, humidity, temperature and fuel types … when planning and implementing prescribed fires,” according to a USFS statement released last week.
The total number of acres targeted for the burn-offs between now and the end of winter could not be confirmed.
Roughly one-third of the 676,000-acre national preserve is in Riverside County, while the larger half runs through the San Gorgonio Pass and mountains to the north.
Scattered rain was occurring throughout the Inland Empire Wednesday, with minimal winds, providing the right conditions for controlled burns. The wet weather was forecast to last, off and on, until Saturday night.
Slash pile burning, which as the name implies, involves torching piles of brush to clear space around fire stations, communications towers and other facilities, will be one of the principal activities. However, officials said a “helitorch,” or a helicopter outfitted with a gas pump that jettisons burning gelled petroleum like a flamethrower, will also be employed for larger burns.
Operations utilizing a helitorch occurred earlier this year during a prescribed burn that eliminated over-growth across four square miles around Thomas Mountain east of San Jactino.
“There are a number of ways to reduce fuels, or combustible material, in forests, such as mechanical thinning, prescribed fire and pile burning,” the USFS stated. “Fire managers use prescribed fire to mimic the natural role of fire on the landscape and help maintain or restore ecosystems to a healthier condition and reduce wildfire risk.”
Burns are closely observed and immediately suspended when there are signs of increasing winds.
Officials advised motorists, as well as people on hiking and biking trails and in campgrounds, not to be alarmed by smoke and flames during the operations, which are being publicized via roadside signage and electronic media, including the San Bernardino National Forest’s Twitter and Facebook pages:
— twitter.com/SanBernardinoNFwebsite;
— www.facebook.com/SanBernardinoNF/.
No road closures have been announced yet in connection with the burns.