Contact: AnnMarie Cornejo

805-756-2427; ancornej@calpoly.edu

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — In collaboration with Cal Poly and California State Parks, CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo will conduct a joint-effort prescribed burn at the university’s Escuela Ranch as part of its ongoing vegetation management plan.

Weather permitting, about 30 acres of vegetation will be burned beginning around 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 13. The carefully controlled effort will enhance fire safety, improve ecosystem health and provide valuable hands-on training opportunities for Cal Poly forest and fire sciences students, the California State Parks wildfire resilience team and CAL FIRE staff.

Cal Poly's Escuela Ranch is located off Highway 1 on Education Drive, about eight miles north of Cal Poly’s main campus. The 5,000-acre ranch is used by students for hands-on learning in rangeland management, Cal Poly’s annual Bull Test program and other research and livestock opportunities.

The prescribed burn operation, the first of its kind on Cal Poly’s campus, is designed to reduce the accumulation of flammable vegetation that contributes to catastrophic wildfires while supporting long-term ecosystem health. The prescribed burn is part of a proactive, science-based approach to land management that integrates fire ecology and workforce development.

The effort is led by Ashley Grupenhoff, assistant professor of wildland fire management in the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department. Students from her Prescribed Fire Senior Project class will be onsite to work with CAL FIRE crew members gaining pivotal experience in firing techniques and fireline safety.

“Periodic, low-intensity fire helps maintain grassland communities by recycling nutrients, stimulating germination of fire-adapted plants and reducing invasive species,” Grupenhoff said. “This burn also provides hands-on opportunities for Cal Poly students to gain direct experience in professional firefighting practices, including ignition techniques, fire behavior monitoring and ecological assessment.”

Fire personnel will be on site throughout the operation, and every precaution will be taken to ensure safe execution. Smoke may be visible in the surrounding areas and residents are advised not to report the fire unless there is an emergency unrelated to this controlled operation.

“We remain committed to reducing wildfire risk through strategic partnerships, community collaboration and environmentally responsible land stewardship,” Eva Grady, CAL FIRE captain and public information officer said.

About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (cafes.calpoly.edu) comprises expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, including ranch land, orchards, vineyards and forests, all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country, with more than 4,100 undergraduate students.