The United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Services will begin burning an approximately 4,840-mile area of Los Padres National Forest on Wednesday, Nov. 20. The area is near the Alamo Mountain area of the park, about 11 miles south of the community of Frazier Park and 11 miles west of Interstate 5.

According to a press release from the Forest Services, the controlled burn should take between 5 and 10 days to complete. Santa Barbara County residents near the burn site and motorists passing through should expect smoke lingering in the area through the next two weeks.

The burn is the first since the official end of the 2002 fire season. The purpose of the burn, which the recent rainfall will help firefighters keep under control, is to “reduce hazardous fuels, enhance wildlife habitat, provide a buffer around the Sespe Wilderness and protect municipal watershed,” Los Padres National Forest Representative Dave Kerr said in a press release. The project is organized by the Forest Service and the Ventura County Fish and Game Commission, according to the release.

Because fire conditions are hazardous, roads leading to the Alamo Mountain area may be closed. To check road conditions, people expecting to visit the park can call (661) 245-3731.