It could be smoky in parts of Modesto over the next few days. Here’s why.
There could be smoke in parts of Modesto during the latter half of the week as firefighters conduct training burns at Tuolumne River Regional Park.
“The primary focus is to get our new firefighters some training and in the process they are able to burn off some overgrown vegetation to reduce the threat of any catastrophic fires over the summer,” said Modesto Fire Department Battalion Chief Darin Jesberg.
He said there are suspicious fires, often the result of illegal camping or arson, at the park nearly every day during the summer.
The controlled training burns will be conducted Wednesday through Friday within the park between Santa Cruz Avenue and the Mitchell Road Bridge. The park will be closed during the burns and the times will vary depending on wind speed and direction.
They are being done with a permit from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and in conjunction with Modesto Police and Modesto’s Park Operations and Planning Divisions.
Jesberg said firefighters will focus on burning invasive plant species to improve the health of native species.
This story was originally published May 26, 2021 at 1:45 PM.
