BLM to conduct prescribed fire at Dos Palmas Preserve
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Moreno Valley, Calif. – Fire crews from the California Desert Interagency Fire Program will treat up to two acres of public lands with prescribed fire in the Dos Palmas Preserve in the Colorado Desert in Riverside County.
The prescribed fire will occur on one day between March 24 – April 7, from 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., when specific weather conditions allow for safe and successful burning and smoke dispersion are present. During the prescribed fire smoke may be visible from the community of North Shore, near the Salton Sea, and Highway 111.
Fire crews will use prescribed fire to remove dead vegetation, which left untreated could feed and intensify a wildfire. Crews will patrol and extinguish smoldering fuels and the prescribed fire will be extinguished by the end of the day.
The BLM is committed to keeping public landscapes healthy and productive. The prescribed fire is an ongoing effort to restore the palm oasis and marshland habitat in the area. The Dos Palmas Preserve encompasses 15,000 acres and is cooperatively managed by the BLM, the Center for Natural Lands Management, and the city of San Diego. The Preserve is home to the endangered desert pupfish and Yuma Ridgway’s rail. The site is also used by migrating birds and other wildlife.
The California Desert Interagency Fire Program includes Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service firefighting resources that cover Death Valley National Park, Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park and BLM’s California Desert District. As an interagency unit, fire personnel share responsibilities and equipment to effectively manage the California Desert Fire Program.
Additional information is available by contacting the BLM fuels specialist James Gannon at 951-697-5307.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.