Where’s all that smoke coming from? Prescribed burns underway in SLO County

A series of training burns by Cal Fire cast a pall of smoke across North County skies on Thursday, and more will be on the way through next week.

As part of a “fighting fire with fire” special training program for Cal Fire personnel, prescribed burns are being held at Camp Roberts from May 13 to 15 and May 20 to 22, according to a news release from Cal Fire.

Smoke can be seen in the San Miguel area, northwestern Paso Robles and surrounding areas like San Marcos Road and Nacimiento Lake Drive during the trainings. Smoke conditions may vary based on weather and wind patterns, the release said.

Children, older adults and individuals with respiratory or heart conditions should use caution if smoke is visible or detected in their area, according to the release.

Cal Fire’s prescribed burns at Camp Roberts are in cooperation with air pollution control agencies in SLO and Monterey counties and are part of a training program that includes use of firing operations that can help suppress wildfires.

The controlled environment of the training burns bring valuable hands-on experience for firefighters and preparedness for future wildfire incidents, the release said.

All burn operations depend on favorable weather and air quality conditions, and air quality agencies in the area work closely with Cal Fire to minimize impacts to the surrounding communities, according to the release.