(KRON) -- State park officials are asking Bay Area residents to refrain from calling 911 if they see plumes of smoke rising from Mount Tamalpais this week. A prescribed burn operation is schedule to begin on Thursday and it may result in highly visible smoke. "Burn planners ask the community to refrain from calling 911 if they see smoke from the burn area. California State Parks, with the support of the Marin County Fire Department, will manage the operation throughout the week," state park officials wrote. People near the mountain and in adjacent communities may see smoke from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Ignitions depend on weather conditions that are favorable for smoke dispersal and minimizing air quality impacts of surrounding communities. "Prescribed burning produces significantly less smoke than a wildfire does," park officials said. The burns are part of California State Park’s Wildfire and Forest Resiliency Program, and aimed at maintaining the grasslands and coastal scrublands in a portion of the park. Fires help preserve native plant communities and wildlife that depend on them.