MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – On Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 8 a.m. the Cal Fire Mendocino Unit will be conducting a vegetation management control burn in Yorkville, near Highway 128, in the area of milepost 43.

Aircraft and smoke will be visible in the Yorkville area and possibly visible west of Highway 101, north of Cloverdale.

The prescribed burning being done under this vegetation management program, or VMP, project will be conducted under specific climatic conditions to ensure control and minimize air quality and other impacts.

The primary goal of this prescribed burn is to reintroduce fire as a natural element of the ecosystem.

A second goal is to improve wildlife habitat by inducing new shoots from sprouting species to increase forage production, with islands of unburned fuel left within the burned area to provide shelter for small mammals.

A third goal is to reduce overall vegetation in order to decrease the chance of catastrophic wildfires in the future.

Burning is planned for Wednesday, Feb. 14, through Friday, Feb. 16, weather and air quality conditions permitting.

The burn will be conducted under very tight restrictions for the personal safety of firefighters and area residents. If there are any indications that the burn cannot be conducted in a safe manner, such as high winds or local fire activity, the burn will be cancelled.

Cal Fire reminds all residents that their safety is of the utmost concern.

For information on how to create defensible space, as well as tips to prevent wildfires, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.