Firefighters Plan Controlled Burns
Hoping to prevent another fire in Wildwood Park, the Ventura County Fire Protection District today is scheduled to begin burning excess brush on park hillsides near Avenida de Los Arboles.
The controlled burns are scheduled to last through Thursday and cover about 30 acres. Fire crews will start the burns at 7 a.m., setting fire to brush that has already been cut and stacked in piles.
The brush clearing will concentrate on an area of the park near the site of the June 11 fire that charred 25 acres, at one point coming within 200 yards of homes on San Miguel Circle. District spokesman Joe Luna said brush had already been cut in some of the burned area, reducing the amount of fuel for the flames.
The district has chosen this week for its controlled burns because weather forecasts predict relatively light winds, meaning smoke will rise into the atmosphere instead of pouring into nearby neighborhoods.
“If it starts coming down low, we’ll quit burning,” Luna said.
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