Smoke Seen From Country Estates is Smoldering From Recent Prescribed Burn

High winds Saturday morning kicked up smoke in the area of a prescribed burn done over a week ago in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park south of Julian. White smoke was visible from San Diego Country Estates.

State Parks and Cal Fire each stationed a unit at the area to monitor it, according to Julian/Cuyamaca Fire Protection District.

"The winds have been really bad up here," a spokesman for the district told Ramona Patch on Saturday.

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is 15 miles south of Julian. The prescribed burn on the park's Middle Peak was done on Jan. 19, as part of . State Parks has been burning dead vegetation from the 2003 Cedar Fire in order to plant new trees. The Cedar Fire was so hot that seed stock was scorched, making it more difficult for the forest to come back on its own, a spokesman told Patch recently.

San Diego County inland valleys and mountains are under a Red Flag Warning through 6 p.m. Saturday due to very low humidity and dry vegetation. Recent rainfall is expected to somewhat mitigate the problem, according to the National Weather Service.

A Red Flag warning means that "explosive fire potential" exists or may occur, according to the Weather Service. Gusts up to 60 mph are currently possible. Winds are due to decrease somewhat overnight.

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park spokespeople were not available to return phone calls within the time constraints of this story on the weekend.