The Riverside County Fire Department conducted controlled burns Wednesday and Thursday as a means of rehabilitating habitat for native animals in the area, NBC Palm Springs reports.
“The burns at Lake Mathews accomplish the goal of rehabilitating the burrowing owl and Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat habitat through eradication of non-native grasses and weeds,” the Riverside County Fire Department said, according to NBC Palm Springs. “The burns at Lake Skinner accomplish the goal of rehabilitating mammals such as the LA pocket mouse and San Diego black-tailed rabbit.”
According to NBC Palm Springs, the Riverside County Fire Department conducted the burns around Lake Skinner (55 acres) in Winchester and Lake Mathews (83 acres), which is south of Riverside. Planning to burn a total of 138 acres of non-native grasses and weeds, the department issued an advisory so visitors and residents would not be alarmed over the smoke.
Besides enhancing animal habitat, the Lake Mathews burn also will be used as a training opportunity for Cal Fire arson investigators, NBC Palm Springs reports.
The problem with invasive plants and their fire-boosting potential was detailed in an article posted by the California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC). The story said some invasive plants can cause wildfires to be more frequent as they generate higher fuel loads than native plants. According to Cal-IPC, some non-native plants consume high amounts of water, which affects water supply for native wildlife, agriculture and drinking supply. Each year, California spends at least $82 million on controlling and monitoring invasive plants.
