Smoke Visible In Forest Mi-Wok Ranger District Come Mid-May

Sonora, CA — The Stanislaus National Forest is planning prescribed burns to ignite over 200 acres on the Mi-Wok Ranger District beginning this month for resource and public benefit.

The South Fork Underburn units 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the forest are located about 2.5 miles northeast of Twain Harte. The areas to be burned are along Forest Road 2N63/Italian Bar Road, in the vicinity of the Twain Harte Horsemen’s Camp, Township 3N, Range 16E, Sections 26, 27, 33, and 34.

The burn is slated to begin in mid-May and last through June if conditions allow. Up to 218 acres will be treated with low-intensity fire, with 50-100 acres ignited daily.  Daily burn areas will vary based on environmental conditions and smoke production.

Park officials say the main objective is to “enhance public and firefighter safety by reducing the build-up of dead and down fuels and to reduce the threat of high-intensity wildfire while protecting watershed values and wildlife habitat.”

Smoke may be visible from highways 4, 108, or 120 and surrounding communities. Noting that this project is a planned prescribed fire, forest officials ask the public to not report it as a wildfire.