Controlled Burns in Larkspur: February 8-11, 2021

Marin County Open Space District staff maintenance crew plan to burn the vegetation piles at Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve (243-323 Wilson Way and Hatzic Ct) 2/8- 2/11.  This is a planned burn of vegetation cut earlier in the season.  The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) permit is weather and wind dependent - crews will be on site at approximately 8am to begin preparations and will commence igniting piles at 10am. This work is planned but tentative, so if Open Space staff are unable to proceed they will look for other opportunities to address these piles in the coming months.  Fire suppression equipment from Marin County Open Space (hoses, vehicles) will all be on site and crews will be monitoring/tending piles closely. 

Local residents should experience minimal air quality impacts, as the operation plan is to burn the piles as hot as possible which creates little smoke as possible (but not smoke-free).  Residents with smoke sensitivities or other health considerations may want to plan to be elsewhere during these operations, from approximately 9am to 4pm. 

This type of controled pile burning to reduce wildfire vegetation fuels is a valuable tool to help reduce hazardous vegetation on open space lands near homes, and is conducted in a safe manner only when weather and vegetation conditions allow.