Burn Program Returns to the Owens Valley

CAL FIRE's San Bernardino Unit is set to begin several vegetation management burns over the next few weeks in an area about two miles north of the community of Lone Pine in the Owens Valley. The reintroduction of vegetation management burn projects was considered necessary to reduce the abundant growth of decadent vegetation in the area.

Two projects, Lone Pine North and the Lone Pine Airport projects are under the direct control of CAL FIRE in cooperation with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP). Several other burn projects have been permitted by CAL FIRE but will be conducted by the DWP and some private land owners who lease land from the DWP. The projects conducted by the DWP and the private landowners will be controlled by them, however they will be working from a permit issued by CAL FIRE which sets the boundaries and conditions for their projects.

The CAL FIRE burn projects have strict guidelines that must be met before the vegetation is ignited. Additionally, every project area will have a control line around it in order to keep the fire within the intended project area. CAL FIRE is planning to burn some black line around parts of the Lone Pine North project areas this week.

The plan is to remove the excess vegetation helping to reduce the fire threat north of Lone Pine as well as improving the local watershed.