Controlled Burn Taking Place Near Coast

There's a slight chance Ross Valley residents will smell or see smoke coming from the coast over the next two days. A controlled two-day burn has been scheduled to begin today, Thursday, in the Olema Valley to reduce the invasive shrub French broom, Point Reyes National Seashore fire staff said.

Eighty acres on the east side of state Highway 1 will burn for the next two days. The burn site is about seven miles south of Olema, between the Randall Trail in the Point Reyes National Seashore and Dogtown, fire officials said.

The burns are part of a strategy to create a fuel break along Highway 1 to make a wildfire easier to control. Officials said a fire could spread to Bolinas and Stinson Beach or threaten Kent Lake, which is part of the Marin Municipal Water District.

This burn aims to reduce the invasive French broom and maintain open grasslands in between dense forests in the area, officials said.

There may be traffic delays along Highway 1 and smoky skies are expected in the area.

The burn was postponed last week because of air quality. The burn is still subject to change because of weather, officials said.

— Bay City News Service