A large plume of smoke attracted a lot of attention on Thursday in Northern Santa Barbara County, but stemmed from a prescribed burn.
Firefighters were working to remove old vegetation at the BarM Ranch (also known as Barham Ranch), four miles southeast of Los Alamos.
The state-approved vegetation-management program burn targeted approximately 200 acres of sage scrub and oak woodland with grass underbrush.
"This burn will reduce old growth fuel loads, with a range improvement component.,” Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District officials said. “Prescribed, or planned, fires typically burn less intensely than wildfires. Prescribed burns can help prevent the spread of wildfires, and can reduce impacts to watersheds that can result in soil loss and sedimentation.”