Arnold, CA…California State Parks, with assistance from CAL FIRE, plans to conduct prescribed burns in Calaveras Big Trees State Park as soon as Wednesday, Sept. 30. There are four separate treatment areas planned covering approximately 780 acres in the South Grove area, North Grove Meadow and West Moran. All burning depends on weather and air quality conditions; if weather or vegetation conditions are not conducive for burning and smoke dispersal, the department will reschedule the treatment.

California State Parks and CAL FIRE crews began ignition on a prescribed burn in the South Grove on Oct. 29, 2024, seen in the photo above. Crews treated 1,145 acres with beneficial fire to reduce fuel and promote giant sequoia regeneration. Photo from California State Parks.

During and after the prescribed burning, visitors should expect partial park closures, including the South Grove Trail, Beaver Creek area, Bradley Grove Trail, fire road around the South Grove, the Walter W. Smith Memorial Parkway south of the Stanislaus River, and West Moran road at the park boundary with Upper Moran Road.

Closures may start as soon as Sept. 30. Additional closures may be in place to accommodate operations in the other prescribed burn units. Closures will remain in effect until conditions favor reopening. Smoke will remain in the area for some time after active firing has stopped. For a current list of all closures in the park, the public can visit: parks.ca.gov/CalaverasBigTrees.

State Parks’ Central Valley District forest stewardship crew will hold a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, at Calaveras Big Trees State Park to discuss prescribed burning and forest management in the park.

What: Community Town Hall Meeting

When: 6 to 7:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 28

Where: Calaveras Big Trees State Park — Educational Resources Room

1170 CA-4, Arnold, CA 95223

OR attend virtually. Pre-registration is required.

In October 2024, crews treated 1,145 acres of the planned 1,317 prescribed burn acreage in the South Grove. The prescribed burns planned in the South Grove this year will re-treat acres that did not burn well enough to reduce fuel and promote giant sequoia regeneration as well as treat additional acres in the area. All prescribed burn units have been prepared for treatment. Additionally, crews have prepared large giant sequoias by removing heavy fuels and organic matter from their base to reduce the likelihood of negative impacts from fire.

The protection and stewardship of giant sequoia groves at Calaveras Big Trees State Park have been a priority for State Parks since the park opened to the public in 1931. Prescribed burning is part of the department’s program for vegetation management to increase the resilience of the forest and promote new giant sequoia growth. Forest management and prescribed fire help restore and maintain a complex forest community, reduce hazardous fuel loads, improve wildlife habitat, restore nutrients to the soil, protect park infrastructure and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.

Communities near Calaveras Big Trees State Park, including Arnold, Dorrington, Big Trees Village, White Pines, Blue Lake Springs, and Love Creek may experience smoke from the burning operations. Prescribed burns produce significantly less smoke than wildfires. The department plans and coordinates these burns with the Tuolumne County Air District to minimize the smoke in surrounding communities. On the day of the burn, smoke may be visible near the burn area and should not be a cause for alarm. Do not call 911 to report fire activity or smoke in the area.

For more information about prescribed burns at Calaveras Big Trees State Park, please visit parks.ca.gov/BigTreesPrescribedFire.

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The California Department of Parks and Recreation, popularly known as State Parks, and the programs supported by its Office of Historic Preservation and divisions of Boating and Waterways and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Learn more at parks.ca.gov.