SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — CAL FIRE’s San Luis Obispo Unit, in cooperation with Cal Poly and the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District, plans to conduct a prescribed burn at Cal Poly’s Escuela Ranch on Wednesday, Oct. 14, as part of ongoing vegetation management efforts.

Approximately 31.5 acres of vegetation will be treated beginning around 8 a.m., weather and air-quality conditions permitting. The burn will reduce hazardous vegetation, improve grassland ecosystem health and provide hands-on learning opportunities for Cal Poly students.

The burn will take place at Cal Poly's Escuela Ranch, located off Highway 1 on Education Drive, about eight miles north of Cal Poly’s San Luis Obispo 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 activities.

Twenty-six students enrolled in Cal Poly’s prescribed fire senior project course will participate in the operation under the direction of fire personnel. Their primary learning objective is to gain experience with live fire, including recognizing fire patterns, anticipating how fire may behave across the landscape and understanding how fire operations are conducted safely.

In preparation for the burn, students helped establish wet and hand lines along the eastern and southern boundaries of the unit and stage water and hose equipment for fire control. The burn is being done in conjunction with Cal Poly’s Animal Science Department and Agricultural Operations, as well as the U.S. Forest Service. Students will receive a safety briefing before traveling to the site, where they will observe and assist with fire operations. Students will also monitor a designated plot during the burn, documenting fire behavior and ecological effects that can be tracked over time.

“Periodic, low-intensity fire helps maintain grassland communities by recycling nutrients, stimulating germination of fire-adapted plants and reducing invasive species,” Ashley Grupenhoff, assistant professor of wildland fire management in the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department said. “Students will gain firsthand experience observing live fire, recognizing fire patterns and anticipating how fire may behave across the landscape. They also will learn how fire operations are carried out safely, from the initial briefing through work on the fire line.”

This planned burn is the second of its kind at Cal Poly’s Escuela Ranch, building on the university’s efforts to use fire as a tool for landscape stewardship and hands-on student learning. The first was held in 2025.

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,” Dave Erickson, CAL FIRE Division Chief/forester II said.