As San Franciscans savored yet another day of their trademark picturesque skyline, a haze over Angel Island prompted some raised eyebrows – but fire officials are quick to douse any alarm. According to the San Francisco Fire Department, the smoke billowing from Angel Island today is part of a controlled burn, carefully managed and under continuous surveillance by the local fire brigade.

The Bay Area can expect more smoke through Wednesday as the fire play unfolds over Angel Island State Park. The plan, orchestrated jointly by California State Parks and the Marin County Fire Department, is a strategic move to chop down hazardous fuel and choke out invasive species. Those puffs of smoke could reach neighboring counties, including Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, and, of course, San Francisco itself. People sensitive to smoky air should take note and limit their exposure, especially if the air quality around them has dropped to uncomfortable levels. According to a post on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Facebook page, air quality updates and advisories can be checked at fire.airnow.gov.

Local officials seem to have things under control, and there's no cause for panic or emergency calls – they have already ferried out the all-clear signal. However, this premeditated inferno isn't all about fire and brimstone. It's a rejuvenation technique, a preventive measure allowing nature to rebuild and ward off any untoward, more ferocious wildfires in the future. It's a defense against the catastrophic blazes we've seen in preceding years and a method to safeguard the island's diverse ecology, which has ostensibly been elbowing out by unwanted, aggressive plant species.

Residents with respiratory conditions have been advised to stay indoors, as a precaution is the better part of valor regarding health. Outdoor aficionados and fitness buffs might also want to skip this air-borne show.