BLM to conduct prescribed fire in Kern County for wildfire prevention
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management plans to conduct prescribed fire operations when conditions allow this fall and winter in areas of the Keysville Recreation Area and Walker Pass Campgrounds, near Lake Isabella and Canebrake in Kern County. Prescribed burning helps to reduce hazardous fuels, moderate the potential negative effects of wildland fire, and increase firefighter and public safety. Burning may continue through mid-March depending on weather conditions. Pile-burn operations will only be conducted when weather and fuel moistures allow for safe and successful burning.
The Keysville project consists of hand-constructed debris piles generated during the creation of a defensible fuel break around the Keyes Mine and Walker Cabin historic sites. Approximately 70 acres will be treated. The Walker Pass Campgrounds project involve burning hand piles created during hazard tree removal and fuel break construction along access roads and within campground boundaries. Up to 50 acres will be treated. During burn operations, smoke may be visible from locations throughout the Keysville Recreation Area and Walker Pass Campgrounds including Lake Isabella, Bodfish, Wofford Heights, Mountain Mesa, Canebrake, and Ridgecrest. All prescribed fire operations are conducted in coordination with the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District.
\More information is available from the BLM Bakersfield Field Office at 661-391-6000.
The BLM manages about 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.