Pile Burning Near Larkspur/Madrone Canyon Begins 4/15/24

Starting the week of April 15, Firefighters, in cooperation with Marin County Parks and Open Space, will begin burning brush piles for disposal in Larkspur's Madrone Canyon (Redwood, Millard, Olive streets) and Kentfield's Blue Ridge. This work, funded by Measure A, is part of the multi-year "Greater Ross Valley Shaded Fuel Break" project.

The Greater Ross Valley Shaded Fuel Break will create a 38-mile shaded fuel break running along the backyards of about 1,700 parcels. The fuel reduction zone includes about 1,300 acres from Fairfax to Corte Madera. The project is designed to slow the spread of wildfire to give firefighters time and space to suppress the flames. This project would reduce fire risk to several communities in the wildland urban interface (otherwise known as the WUI) while improving forest and ecosystem health by reducing non-native plant cover.

In some areas, especially those with limited access and difficult terrain, work crews may opt to build brush piles to reduce cost and avoid impacts to the soil, which may cause erosion. These piles are cured for a period of time to reduce the amount of smoke generated by combustion.

These burns are planned on designated open burn days as determined by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in order to minimize the smoke impacts on surrounding communities. All burning depends on weather and air quality conditions that are favorable for smoke dispersal. If the conditions, such as weather or staffing are not conducive for burning, the burns will be rescheduled.

For more information on Marin County Parks vegetation management, go to https://www.parks.marincounty.org/.
For more information on the Greater Ross Valley Shaded Fuel Break, go to https://www.marinwildfire.org/project/shaded-fuel-break-planning-project.

For questions about pile burning in your area, call the Marin County Parks Vegetation Management Line at 415-492-0121.