High Smoke Levels in the Valley Due to Burn Day

The smoke you may have smelled and seen today was a result of it being a designated "Burn Day" in the San Lorenzo Valley. By 3 p.m. on Saturday, the Scotts Valley Fire Department had already recieved six different calls reporting smoke. Felton Fire also recieved multiple calls, according to Emergency Radio Traffic, as did Santa Cruz, Aptos, and Bonny Doon Fire Departments. Thankfully, none of these smelly smoke plumes turned out to be wildland fires.

"What you're seeing is the smoke from a lot of yard burns going on, and then also some of it is from fire place chimneys," said Fire Captain John Crivello of the Scotts Valley Fire Department. "We hate to get tied up on smoke checks in case a real emergancy gets in."

Burn Days are determined by the California Air Resources Board, and permitted only during Fire Season — December 1 until April 30. Burning any other time during the year could result in a citation.

Burning dry brush and other yard debris helps prevent wildland fires by clearing debris that would otherwise fuel a fire. Call the Air Quality Control District at 1-800-CAL-BURN in the morning to find out if it's a Burn Day, and make sure to follow the Yard Burning Guidelines by burning small piles, not using gasoline or other solvents, having a hoseline close by, and making sure the fire is out by 4 p.m.

The current Air Quality reading for Santa Cruz and the San Lorenzo Valley is 2.5 parts per million. This still qualifies as "Good" to "Moderate" air quality.

For more information on protecting your home against wildfires, click HERE.