A large-scale prescribed burn is underway east of Hopland, where CAL FIRE crews began igniting grasslands at the University of California’s Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) this week as part of a research-driven fuels reduction effort.
The burn, announced in a CAL FIRE press release, kicked off Monday and is scheduled to continue daily through June 6, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The project is expected to treat about 500 acres of grassland within oak woodland habitat, creating a patchwork of burned and unburned areas that can help reduce fire risk and support biodiversity studies.
Located in southern Mendocino County, just east of Highway 101, the HREC site is a hub for long-term environmental research. CAL FIRE described the burn as a collaborative effort to both reduce hazardous fuels and gather critical data on fire behavior, restoration ecology, and land management.
The agency noted that smoke and aircraft activity may be visible in the area throughout the operation.
This burn is part of broader statewide goals outlined in the California Fire Plan and the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, which aim to reduce the intensity of future wildfires and restore fire-adapted ecosystems.
Residents can track the progress of fuels reduction projects across the state on CAL FIRE’s fuels reduction dashboard, and find wildfire preparedness resources at ReadyForWildfire.org.
The prescribed burn is being conducted under tightly controlled conditions, with crews monitoring weather, moisture, and wind to ensure safety.
