Amador County – Area fire agencies planned some controlled burns to tentatively start this week.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection last week announced prescribed burning could begin this week on Tiger Creek Road and Salt Springs Road.

Patrick McDaniel, Cal-Fire Forester of the Vegetation Management Program for CDF’s Amador-El Dorado-Sacramento-Alpine Unit, said the burning would run through the month of November.

McDaniel said the unit “plans to conduct a prescribed broadcast burn on Sierra Pacific Industries and Pacific Gas and Electric properties located along Salt Springs Road and Tiger Creek Road in unincorporated portions of Amador County.”

CDF Public Information Officer Teri Mizuhara said the burn was weather permitting and the goal “is to maintain a fuel break” on lands owned by SPI and PG&E in the area of Doaks Ridge, on the north side of the north fork of the Mokelumne River in Amador County.

She said the “burn will reduce ground fuels such as brush, conifer litter and bear clover from the understory of the mixed conifer forest in order to help protect communities along the Highway 88 corridor from fires originating in the wildland.” Major roads running through the project area are Salt Springs Road and Tiger Creek Road.

Unit Chief Kelly Keenan said the prescribed burn project will begin with a small “test burn” at the beginning of each day, “as a final check to ensure that conditions are within prescription.” He said “if conditions are favorable, then the firefighters will begin burning around the perimeter of the project allowing a low intensity fire to consume fuels within the project boundaries.”

Keenan said CDF “field personnel are trained professionals and will not burn unless very specific parameters are met.” He said “all prescribed burn projects are the result of extensive pre-planning involving studies of the vegetation types, fuel loading, weather patterns, topography, values at risk, and fire history.”

An “environmental analysis is made for each project, along with mitigation measures to address any foreseeable adverse impacts that may be caused by the fire,” Keenan said. “The targeted area for the prescribed burn project has control lines in place as well as fire crews and fire fighting equipment in strategic locations in order to maintain control of the fire once it is set.”

The El Dorado National Forest tentatively planned to start prescribed burning on 5,300 acres this week, including 1,037 acres on Highway 88 across from Hams Station; and 1,375 acres near the intersection of Mormon Emigrant Trail and Silver Fork Road.

CDF’s McDaniel said people who are sensitive to smoke and who feel they may be affected are requested to contact him at (530)647-5288.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.