MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, Mendocino Unit will be conducting a vegetation management prescribed burn on privately-owned land near the Shamrock Ranch on Tuesday, May 7.

The burn will start at approximately 11 a.m. and conclude at approximately 5 p.m.

The Shamrock Ranch is located in the northern portion of Mendocino County, in the Laytonville area, east of Highway 101.

The prescribed burning conducted under this vegetation management program project will be
done to meet a specific objective and conducted under specific climatic conditions to ensure control and minimize air quality and biological impacts.

These conditions will mimic conditions under which natural wildfires occur to maximize the positive effects of fire on vegetation.

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 burn units to provide shelter for small mammals.

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

This project burn will be conducted under strictly controlled weather and fuel conditions. Smoke and aircraft will be visible in the area.