SLO County drivers might spot smoke and fire along Highway 1. This is why

Drivers and residents can expect to see smoke and fire crews along Highway 1 north of Cayucos on Friday.

Crews will burn about 126 acres of Estero Bluffs State Park in a scheduled operation to reduce fire fuels there, especially invasive weeds, and encourage the growth of native grasslands, according to a Thursday news release from State Parks, Cal Fire and the county’s Air Pollution Control District.

The narrow park area stretches between the busy highway and the ocean shoreline.

The prescribed burn plot extends from the last houses in Cayucos to San Geronimo Creek, the agencies said.

Trails will be closed briefly during Friday’s burn operation.

If weather conditions are suitable for the prescribed burn, work could start as early as 7 a.m. Friday, with the fire due to be out by 5 p.m., according to the release.

If conditions aren’t right Friday, the work could be postponed to Saturday or Sunday.

Kathe Tanner

The Tribune

805-781-7904 (voicemails only)

Kathe Tanner has been writing about the people and places of SLO County’s North Coast since 1981, first as a columnist and then also as a reporter. Her career has included stints as a bakery owner, public relations director, radio host, trail guide and jewelry designer. She has been a resident of Cambria for more than four decades, and if it’s happening in town, Kathe knows about it.