Prescribed Burn Program

Call (831) 242-7383 or toll free 1-800-852-9699 for updates.

The Fort Ord prescribed burn season begins July 1. Register with the Direct Notification Program to be notified when a prescribed burn is imminent, and when a prescribed burn is started. Check this website or call the toll free number for periodic updates.

If you registered for the direct notification program in previous years, you must re-register for the program in 2012 to receive notification. Community members can re-register for this program or update existing contact information by calling the toll free number or by completing the Direct Notification Program registration form (see instructions below). The Army will use contact information only to provide prescribed burn update information.

View an informational factsheet about the prescribed burn program.

The Army will notify the community when suitable conditions are considered imminent and when a prescribed burn is started. Direct notification will be provided by telephone or email for anyone who registers to receive such notification.

To register, submit a registration form to:

Base Realignment and Closure Field Office
Fort Ord Prescribed Burn Direct Notification Program
P.O. Box 5008
Monterey, CA 93944-5008
FAX: (831) 393-9188

• Download, print, and mail the PDF version of the registration form (requires a PDF reader, such as Adobe Acrobat).
   - or -
  
• Print and mail the HTML version of the registration form
  

The Presidio of Monterey Fire Department  has designated Units 7 and 10 for prescribed burning during the 2012 burn season.  Unit 10 is about 240 acres, Unit 7 is about 217 acres. The map at the right shows the location of Units 7 and 10 areas as well as the areas where prescribed burns have been completed (shown in beige).

The draft 2012 prescribed burn plan, including the burn prescription, air monitoring plan and community notification plan, will be issued February 2012.  These documents will be made available in the Administrative Record section of www.fortordcleanup.com.

Site preparation, such as preparation of primary, secondary and tertiary containment lines, removal of combustible surface debris where safe to do so, and preparation of staging areas and access routes, will be completed before the burns occur.

The Army has begun the registration for the 2012 Direct Notification Program. After July 1, a burn will be conducted when conditions meet the burn prescription. More than one prescribed burn may be conducted in 2012. 

If you have concerns about what to do to avoid exposure to smoke, the following suggestions are offered:

• Avoid strenuous work or exercise outdoors;
• Close up your home by shutting windows and doors;
• Air conditioning controls should be set in the "recycle" mode to prevent outside air from being drawn into your home;
• Drink plenty of fluids to keep your respiratory membranes moist;
• Seek medical care if breathing becomes difficult, and
• Consider using an over-the-counter nasal moisturizing spray (saline)

2011: Cancellation of Prescribed Burns

In 2011, the Army began preparation of two areas for prescribed burns by cutting containment lines. During site preparation, two types of large artillery projectiles were encountered on the surface, an unexpected event since these types of projectiles are generally found several feet below the ground. The presence of these items on the ground surface made these areas unsafe to burn. The items encountered required a much greater safety setback distance than had been anticipated. That distance exceeded the Army’s capabilities to conduct a safe prescribed burn. Because of this, the vegetation must be cut to allow the safe removal of UXO remaining in these areas.

Once the surface UXO has been removed from the areas and the vegetation grows back sufficiently to carry a fire, these two areas will be burned to encourage successful recovery of the rare, threatened and endangered fire-dependant plant species.

The Army proposed a cleanup plan for munitions and explosives of concern (MEC), including unexploded ordnance (UXO), in the 6,560-acre portion of the historical Impact Area. Public comments on the proposed plan were accepted during a 60-day public comment period from June 28 to August 28, 2007. The Army and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in consultation with California EPA Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), considered the public comments and selected a remedy for the site. The selected remedy is described in the Record of Decision Impact Area Munitions Response Area Track 3 Munitions Response Site. This document also includes the Army's responses to public comments.

The selected remedy (Technology-Aided Surface MEC Remediation with Subsurface MEC Remediation in Selected Areas) will involve the following activities:

• Prescribed burning to remove vegetation
• Surface removal of MEC from the entire site and subsurface MEC removal in selected areas of the site
• Digital geophysical mapping
• Land use controls including a perimeter fence to manage and control public access

The Fort Ord Environmental Cleanup Program Toll Free Number 1-800-852-9699 provides information on detonation schedules, updates on prescribed burns and the opportunity to speak to an environmental staff person or leave a message.

You can also call the toll free number and request to be added to the Fort Ord Community Relations mailing list and receive monthly information packets in the mail. You can also request to receive notices by email. Simply provide your name, mailing address and email address when you call. Remember to specify that you'd like to be added to the mailing list and/or email notifications. The mailing packets and email notifications provide information about upcoming public meetings and community outreach events, updates on reports being issued for public review, details of planned construction activities and more.