Prescribed burns planned for Merced wastewater treatment plant.
The Merced City Fire Department will continue prescribed burns of several hundred acres at the wastewater treatment plant through Thursday.
The burns, which began at about 8 a.m., help train newer firefighters and address overgrown vegetation on city property. Residents in South and Central Merced may see black smoke due to the amount of green vegetation, according to Jennifer Flachman, public information officer for the city.
The end time for the exercise will depend on winds and the fire spread. A similar training burn on Monday went into the evening, Flachman said. The city has blocked out time for prescribed burns through Friday but may finish on Thursday.