Starting February 20, 2024 and continuing periodically through April, Sonoma Ecology Center in collaboration with the City of Sonoma will be conducting controlled pile burns at the Montini Open Space Preserve in Sonoma. While the park will remain open, some trails may be impacted, so please observe closure signs.

Proposed Dates:

February 21, 22
March 12, 13, 19, 20
April 10
Rain, wind, or Bay Area Air Quality Management District “no burn” days will postpone the proposed burn dates. We will update this page and our social media channels in the event of rescheduling.
If you observe smoke during this period, be aware that it is part of ongoing efforts to reduce wildfire risk and promote ecological resilience through these controlled burns.

Through a grant funded by the State Coastal Conservancy’s Wildfire Resilience Program, Sonoma Ecology Center has been performing fuel management work at Montini Preserve over the past several months. This has included cutting dead, downed, or dense vegetation along trails to effectively create a “shaded fuel break”, which can help slow the speed and intensity of a fire if it moves through a landscape. 
Volunteers have assisted the Sonoma Ecology Center restoration crew in helping build conservation burn piles, which are designed to burn with minimal smoke particulates released into the air. Through the winter months, Sonoma Ecology Center plans to remove those fuels in an ecologically-informed way by burning the piles and using small, portable kilns to produce biochar. 

Work will primarily be occurring along the Spotted Fawn Trail at Montini Preserve, and signage will indicate when a burn day is occurring.

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