Cal Fire in cooperation with local landowners will be conducting a 1,100-acre prescribed burn on Wednesday.

This burn is located in southern San Luis Obispo County approximately 8 miles east of Nipomo off Alamo Creek Road north of Highway 166. Six fire engines, one bulldozer, one helicopter, one water tender and four fire crews will be involved in the burn.

The burn is being conducted as part of the agency’s vegetation management program and is intended to reduce highly flammable brush and other wildland fuels in an area prone to wildfires. Prescribed burns are conducted to reduce the risk of large damaging wildfires. The project is in cooperation with the San Luis Obispo County Range Improvement Association and should improve forage conditions for livestock and wildlife.

People in the Nipomo and Santa Maria area or traveling Highway 166 will see smoke from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday. In the unlikely event you smell smoke, County officials urge you to take precautions and use common sense to reduce harmful health effects by limiting outdoor activities.

The prescribed burn is being coordinated with the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District and the California Air Resources Board in order to minimize the smoke impacts on surrounding communities. The project is dependent on weather and will be carried out during favorable atmospheric conditions that provide adequate consumption and smoke dispersal. If the conditions are not favorable on Wednesday as planned, the burn will be rescheduled.