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Forest Service BAER Team Begins Post-Fire Assessment of Hughes Fire

February 1, 2025

A Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has been established by the Angeles National Forest (NF) to begin a post-fire burned area assessment of the Hughes Fire that recently burned on national forest, state, and private lands. The BAER team leader is Forest Service Natural Resources and Planning Specialist Kendal Young. Forest Service BAER team assessments typically take approximately ten days to two weeks to complete.

BAER teams coordinate with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Weather Service (NWS), US Geological Survey (USGS), USDA Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and other federal, state, counties, and other local agencies as they assess potential post-fire impacts to the burned watersheds. 

Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) surveys are rapid assessments to identify imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands. The BAER team evaluates the burned area to identify watersheds having increased potential for post-fire flooding, including mudflows, debris flows, rockslides, and landslides, that assist land managers in preparing for seasonal thunder cell storms, especially winter/spring rainstorms. They also model hydrologic response throughout the burned area and share the team’s findings with the affected downstream agencies.

BAER teams may consist of scientists and specialists including hydrologists, geologists, soil scientists, road engineers, botanists, biologists, hazmat specialists, recreation and special uses specialists, geographic information specialists (GIS), and heritage (archeology/history) specialists. BAER teams collect field data during their burned area surveys to analyze through GIS and computer models and present their findings along with recommended BAER emergency stabilization treatments in a BAER assessment report. 

BAER reports are shared with interagency cooperators such as California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), NRCS, BLM, CAL FIRE, counties, and cities who work with downstream private home and landowners to prepare for potential post-fire flooding and debris flow impacts.

Homes or businesses that could be impacted by flooding from federal land that result from wildfires may be eligible for flood insurance coverage from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Information about NFIP is available through FEMA at www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program, or www.floodsmart.gov/wildfires. Other flood preparedness information is available at www.ready.gov/floods at www.floodsmart.gov/.

Additional information on understanding the BAER program, process and other post-fire information is posted on the Hughes Post-Fire BAER InciWeb page found at:https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/caanf-hughes-postfire-baer.

BAER SAFETY MESSAGE: Everyone near and downstream from the burned areas should remain alert and stay updated on weather conditions that may result in heavy rains and increased water runoff. Flash flooding may occur quickly during heavy rain events--be prepared to act and watch for emergency alerts issued by Los Angeles County. Current weather and emergency notifications for the Hughes Fire area can be found at the National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/lox/.

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