The U.S. Forest Service has announced that they’re going to postpone all new prescribed burns until further notice due to the Coronavirus. The canceled fire ignitions in California include burns in Six Rivers and Mendocino National Forests.
The U.S. Forest Service works in coordination with local and state health organizations when planning and managing prescribed burns and wildfires, and potential smoke impacts on the public are first and foremost in the planning process.
Firefighters in the Los Padres National Forest are launching a series of prescribed burns over the next several months to get rid of brush on the Mount Pinos Ranger District.
That area includes a small portion of Santa Barbara County.
Firefighters will be burning piles of brush that have already been cut down.
The prescribed burns could start as early as Monday.
The burns are taking place near the Pine Mountain Club, Frazier Park, and Lake of the Woods.
The Plumas National Forest is planning to conduct a number of prescribed burns this fall to reduce hazardous fuels, and improve ecosystem health. Planned projects include burning piled materials, low to moderate intensity understory burns of vegetation on the forest floor, and moderate to high intensity broadcast burning of brush. The goals of these projects are to reduce the severity of future wildfires and provide added protection for communities in the wildland urban interface, to promote more diverse and resilient ecosystems, and improve habitat for wildlife.
The burns will take place on the Beckwourth, Mount Hough, and Feather River Ranger Districts between now and March 2014. The actual dates of ignition will depend on local weather and fuel conditions.
The Mendocino National Forest is once again entering prescribed burning season.
The public may notice smoke in various parts of the forest during the next few months as part of the continued commitment to protect communities and natural resources from wildfires.
Forest visitors, including hunters, are asked to be aware of their surroundings and watch for prescribed burning operations to maintain personal safety. Areas where prescribed burning operations are taking place will be well signed and there will be increased fire personnel in the area. If visitors are uncertain, they are encouraged to contact the Forest at 530-934-3316 before their visit to see where prescribed burns are planned for the day.
The Forest Service has scheduled a 120 acre burn starting as early as April 8, 2013 near Angelus Oaks as part of the Angelus Oaks Fuel Reduction project. The burn is to take place near Forest Road 1N12 (north of Angelus Oaks), and smoke will be visible along State Route 38 (and, certainly, other part of the forest communities as well!).
From the press release:
“Doing this work under these favorable weather conditions reduces the risk of a catastrophic wildfire threatening mountain communities under typical, dryer and windy conditions common to the area in the summer and fall fire seasons,” stated Front Country District Ranger Gabe Garcia. “The understory burn is part of a larger 535 acre project initiated in 2004 and will maintain that work we have all invested in to improve the survivability of Angelus Oaks,” Garcia added.
My understanding of what an ‘understory burn’ is is that it’s a low-intensity controlled burn that can only be done within a narrow climatic window – the conditions have to be right; not too dry, not too windy, etc. Sometimes these are done by aerial ignition in other parts of the world, but locally most of these prescribed burns are set by hand using drip torches.
These prescribed burns reduce the possible fuel loads, which reduces the intensity of wildfires, and releases nutrients which enrich the forest making it healthy.
A healthy forest is a happy forest!
You can read the press release HERE.
