Prescribed burn operations may begin as early as Thursday, October 10, in Mount Tamalpais State Park, which could result in visible smoke in the area. Burn planners ask the community to refrain from calling 9-1-1 to report smoke from the burn area allowing dispatchers to remain available for emergencies. 

The Marin County Fire Department will manage fire operations in collaboration with California State Parks.

Exact days of the burn are weather-dependent and could fluctuate throughout the week. People traveling near the area and in adjacent Marin County communities may see smoke from 10 AM to 7 PM on the day of the burns. In the event residents smell smoke, it is recommended to take precautions to reduce harmful health effects by limiting outdoor activities.

Portions of the Dipsea Trail and Deer Park Fire Road (downslope of the junctions with the Ben Johson trail) will be temporarily closed on the day of the burns. Use Ben Johnson or Heather Cutoff trails for access to Coast View Trail and the upper portions of the Deer Park Fire Road and Dipsea Trail above the burn areas. Please use extreme caution if recreating near fire operations due to fire personnel and equipment in the area.

With the arrival of the fall season, prescribed burn operations are now underway. These burns are carefully planned and executed to improve ecological health, reduce hazardous fuels, and mitigate wildfire risks in Marin County. All burn operations are dependent on favorable weather and air quality conditions to ensure safe execution and minimize smoke impacts on the surrounding communities.

Prescribed burns are planned only on permissible days as determined by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to minimize smoke impacts on surrounding communities. The burns will be rescheduled if the conditions, such as weather or staffing, are not conducive for burning.

These burns are part of California State Park’s Wildfire and Forest Resiliency Program. This work is aimed at maintaining the grasslands and coastal scrublands in a portion of the park that has been stewarded through past prescribed burns and years of invasive plant management. Strategic efforts to manage these areas to preserve native plant communities, and the animals that depend on them, have been ongoing since the creation of Mount Tamalpais State Park.

News Release - Marin County Fire - Deer Park - 10.11.24 (PDF)