MENDOCINO Co., 8/22/23 – Travelers along Highway 101 (Ridgewood Grade) on Friday may see smoke and firefighting aircraft on the east side of the highway due to a wildfire training session facilitated by Cal Fire Mendocino Unit.
According to Cal Fire, a training session will be conducted from approximately 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Friday at the Cal Fire Howard Forest facility just south of Willits on Highway 101.
The session serves as an important training opportunity for firefighters, who will learn various tools and tactics used during wildfire suppression operations. The training burn will treat approximately 20-acres of grass. The event is part of California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, which includes reducing fire-hungry fuels statewide.
The session was scheduled when the Willits area is expected to see up to half an inch of rain on Friday due to an unseasonable cold front from Alaska that will blanket the county. Read more about the forecast here.