Mokelumne Hill Cemetery Prescribed Burn
San Andreas – With Halloween just around the corner, the public should not be spooked if they see smoke in the skies above the Mokelumne Hill cemetery next week.
A hazardous fuel reduction prescribed burn will take place on Monday, October 10th, in Mokelumne beginning between 8 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. It is expected to last 6 to 8 hours. Two burn units totaling about 7 acres of annual grass and oak woodland will be set ablaze within the cemetery.
CAL FIRE will be assisting the Mokelumne Hill Cemetery District with the burn to clear hazardous fuels and provide a cleared area on the site for daily visitation and observance of memorial plots. They detailed, “The treatment area will also enhance the established Mokelumne Hill Fuelbreak, which aided in the protection of the community of Mokelumne Hill during the 2015 Butte Fire. Secondary benefits include training on live fire, utilizing various techniques with multiple cooperating fire agencies stationed near the community of Mokelumne Hill.”
Control lines and established roadways will be used to prevent the spread of fire from areas outside the burn unit. Firefighters will remain on the scene until all hotspots are out.
Smoke or fire may be seen by travelers during these times near the Highway 49/Highway 26 intersection and in Mokelumne Hill. Cooperating agencies assisting the Mokelumne Hill Cemetery District with the burn include CAL Fire Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit, Calaveras County Air Pollution Control District, and the Mokelumne Hill Fire Protection District.
