Marin County Fire crews may burn up to 123 acres of Mt. Tamalpais watershed land Aug. 25-26 in two prescribed burns that could produce visible smoke and road closures near Bon Tempe Reservoir.
The first burn may begin Tuesday, Aug. 25, on up to 79 acres south of Sky Oaks Ranger Station, between Bullfrog Road and Bon Tempe Road. A second burn of up to 44 acres in the Pine Point area near Bon Tempe Reservoir may begin Wednesday, Aug. 26, according to a joint notice from Marin County Fire and Marin Water.
Officials are asking residents not to call 9-1-1 to report smoke from the burn areas, so dispatchers remain available for emergencies.
Weather-dependent
Both burns depend on favorable weather, fuel conditions and air quality and may be postponed or rescheduled.
The operations will adhere to Bay Area Air Quality Management District requirements, but surrounding communities may still smell or see smoke. If planners change the schedule, Marin County Fire and Marin Water will post updates through local media and on Facebook, X, Instagram and Nextdoor.
AlertMarin subscribers who have opted in for prescribed burn notices will receive a text notification. Residents can update their settings at Emergency.MarinCounty.gov by selecting “sign up for emergency alerts,” logging in and choosing “Prescribed Burns.”
Road closures
If the burns proceed, the Bon Tempe Parking Lot, Bon Tempe Road and Bon Tempe Channel Road North will be closed.
Sky Oaks Road will remain open but may see brief delays from smoke and temporary lane closures as fire engines patrol the burn perimeter. Visitors should follow posted closure signs.
The burns may continue for additional days if crews need more time to complete work in the planned areas.
Why these burns matter
The burns are part of an expanding prescribed fire program on the Mt. Tam watershed. In June, the Marin Water board voted 5-0 to raise its annual broadcast burning cap from 180 acres to 1,000 acres, the Mill Valley Briefing reported.
Marin Water natural resources program manager Carl Sanders described the landscape as “fire-starved” during a June educational walk near Bon Tempe Lake.
“You either get a little bit of smoke now, or you get a lot later,” Sanders said.
Mt. Tamalpais has not seen a significant wildfire since the Mill/Carson Canyon Fire of 1945. The watershed supplies clean water to more than 191,000 residents in central and southern Marin County.
Marin County firefighters will conduct the burns, with active patrols and mop-up continuing for at least several hours afterward if operations move forward.
