Smoke drifted across west Sonoma County Tuesday after a prescribed burn began around 8 a.m. at Carrington Coast Ranch Regional Park and Open Space Preserve near Bodega Bay, with officials saying the haze was expected to linger through the day. The smoke settled heaviest near the coast but pushed inland far enough to reach Sebastopol, even as regional temperatures climbed past 90 degrees.
Carrington Coast Ranch is a 332-acre coastal property near Bodega Bay, according to The Press Democrat. The outlet reported that the burn caused smoke above communities to the east of the Sonoma County coast and sent it spreading across the broader west county area. Officials were clear on one point: this was not an active wildfire, and residents were urged not to dial 911 over the smoke.
The Sebastopol Police Department issued a smoke advisory just before 3 p.m. Tuesday, per the same report, as the haze crept further from the coastline toward inland neighborhoods. The Graton Fire Department said significant resources were on hand to keep the prescribed burn contained within its planned boundaries, the paper noted.
Health Guidance for Smoke-Sensitive Residents
Sonoma County Fire District reported that the burn activity was expected to last through the day, according to the same Press Democrat account. People with respiratory sensitivities were advised to consider closing windows and doors, limiting outdoor activity, and using air filtration if available.
The Bay Area Air District also issued an air-quality advisory because of smoke from the Salmon Creek prescribed burn, extending through Wednesday. The advisory addressed fine particulate matter and other harmful pollutants, and the district advised residents to avoid exposure to smoke, the same report said.
How This Compares to Past Prescribed Burns
Prescribed burns and their smoke advisories aren't new to the North Bay. In June, the Sonoma Land Trust announced plans for a 71-acre prescribed burn at Live Oaks Ranch Preserve in Knights Valley near Calistoga, scheduled to start as early as 9 a.m. and wrap up around 5 p.m. Smoke from that burn was expected to be visible from Calistoga and Highway 128, and the project was framed as a way to support forest health and reduce the intensity of future wildfires at a preserve scarred by the 2017 Tubbs Fire.
For that burn, CAL FIRE's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit held off on a final decision until crews checked weather conditions and evaluated safety protocols, the land trust said. A similar precaution appeared in a California State Parks notice for a prescribed burn at Angel Island, which urged anyone who smelled smoke to limit time spent in smoky areas and keep an eye on official updates rather than assume an emergency was underway.
Sonoma County Regional Parks has described prescribed burns like the one at Carrington Coast Ranch as a tool for reducing wildfire fuels and supporting ecological health, a rationale consistent with the land-management goals cited for the Knights Valley burn earlier this year. For now, officials' message to west Sonoma County residents remains the same one issued Tuesday afternoon: the smoke is expected, it is not a wildfire, and there is no need to call for emergency help.
