On Wednesday, May 1, San Mateo County Parks will use a new tool to reduce fire fuel in Quarry Park and lessen wildfire risk in the area, including Mirada Surf East. In coordination with Cal Fire and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the department will use an air curtain burner to dispose of trees and other woody debris from earlier fire fuel reduction work in the park and downed trees from winter storms.
The contractor operating the air curtain burner will be on site making preparations beginning late April. Park visitors and neighbors should expect noise from large equipment. When the air curtain burner is in operation on Wednesday, May 1, Mirada Surf East will be closed; other closure dates are forthcoming.
An air curtain burner provides numerous environmental and logistical benefits. The burner’s large container uses an “air curtain” design to capture and re-burn particulate matter, thus greatly reducing smoke, harmful fine particles, and carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. The amount of smoke emitted is comparable to that of a chimney. The burner can process five to nine tons of material per hour and produces far less charred material, which, once cooled, will be dispersed in the area to provide nutrients for the soil. Air curtain burners have been thoroughly tested by environmental agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency.
Because eucalyptus wood is not milled, it has no mainstream market value. A surplus of eucalyptus wood in landfills and traditional dump sites makes disposal expensive. This makes the air curtain burner a valuable tool in the Department's effort to reduce wildfire risk with minimal environmental impact and at an effective cost.