THREE PHASES OF WILDFIRE RECOVERY

 

There are three phases of recovery following wildfires on federal lands:

-       Fire Suppression Repair

-       Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)

-       Long-Term Recovery and Restoration

Fire Suppression Repair is a series of immediate post-fire actions taken to repair damages and minimize potential soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression activities and usually begins before the fire is contained, and before the demobilization of an Incident Management Team. This work repairs the hand and dozer fire lines, roads, trails, staging areas, safety zones, and drop points used during fire suppression efforts.

Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) is a rapid assessment of burned watersheds by a BAER team to identify imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands and take immediate actions to implement emergency stabilization measures before the first post-fire damaging events. Fires result in loss of vegetation, exposure of soil to erosion, and increased water runoff that may lead to flooding, increased sediment, debris flows, and damage to critical natural and cultural resources. BAER actions such as: mulching, seeding, installation of erosion and water run-off control structures, temporary barriers to protect recovering areas, and installation of warning signs may be implemented. BAER work may also replace safety related facilities; remove safety hazards; prevent permanent loss of habitat for threatened and endangered species; prevent the spread of noxious weeds and protect critical cultural resources.

Long-Term Recovery and Restoration utilizes non-emergency actions to improve fire-damaged lands that are unlikely to recover naturally and to repair or replace facilities damaged by the fire that are not critical to life and safety. This phase may include restoring burned habitat, reforestation, other planting or seeding, monitoring fire effects, replacing burned fences, interpreting cultural sites, treating noxious weed infestations, and installing interpretive signs.

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. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/sgx/.

BAER Specialists Assess Radford and Fairview Burned Areas

After a large wildfire, special actions are often necessary to provide for public safety and protect critical cultural and natural resources. Some fires create situations that require special efforts to prevent additional damage after the fire is contained. Loss of vegetation exposes soil to erosion; water runoff may increase and cause flooding, sediments may move downstream and damage houses or fill reservoirs and put endangered species and community water supplies at-risk.

 

A Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team is assessing federal lands burned in the Radford and Fairview Fires, with the goal of keeping visitors and employees safe while recreating and working in the San Bernardino National Forest (NF). BAER team assessments focus on emergency actions that are necessary to protect human life and safety, property, critical cultural resources, and critical natural resources such as soil productivity, hydrologic function, and water quality. Emergency actions are intended to minimize any further damage during rainstorm events.

 

BAER hydrologists, soil scientists, geologist, road engineers, recreation specialists, biologists, botanists, archeologists, and GIS specialists are currently assessing the condition and response of the watersheds within the burned areas. These BAER scientists and specialists evaluate other critical values that could be at risk during major rainstorm events such as forest roads and trails, campgrounds, and other forest infrastructure.

 

This photo below shows Forest Service BAER specialists Kim Boss, Edgar Martinez, and Stacey Wellman preparing to begin field assessments for the Fairview burned area.

 

BAER soil scientists evaluate the burned watersheds to determine post-fire effects to soil and watershed conditions. This includes testing whether the soil is hydrophobic – aka repels water, the amount of soil cover left, soil structure damage, and organic matter left in the soil. Post-fire burned areas of hydrophobic (water repellent) soils along with destruction of soil structure can act as a “tin roof” by reducing the infiltration capacity of soils, enhanced overland flow, and accelerated soil erosion.

 

This is important because the amount of hydrophobicity and soil structure damage are important components to determining how much increased water runoff we can expect after a fire. The hydrophobic layer is the result of a waxy substance that is derived from plant material burned during a hot fire. The waxy substance penetrates the soil as a gas and solidifies after it cools, forming a waxy coating around soil particles. Hydrophobicity repels water from soil and is considered when mapping watershed response to rainstorms after a wildfire.

 

Water repellency is only one of the many changes with the topsoil that happens in moderate and high soil burn severity. The biggest driver is lack of soil cover and soil structure. This is “why” soil burn severity is so important and “why” hydrophobicity is only one of the contributing factors. Soil texture also plays a role, coarse-grained soils allow hot gasses to penetrate deeper and tend to have deeper water repellant layers where fine-textured soils pore space is tight and does not allow gases to penetrate readily thus causing only surface water repellency.

 

In this photo below, Forest Service Soil Scientist Serena Kuczmarski assesses soil hydrophobicity (water repellency), changes to soil structure, and maps the soil burn severity (SBS) in the Radford burned area.

      

 

BAER Engineers and Hydrologists evaluated the conditions of roads and watersheds within the Radford and Fairview burned areas for potential threats from flash flooding, sediment flows impacting drainage crossings and the overall infrastructure due to increased erosion, sedimentation, and water flows. They determined whether road culverts and other drainage structures within the burned areas have sufficient capacity to pass post-fire modeled increased water and debris flows—in particular, they look to see if they are clogged, collapsed, or could get clogged after major rainstorm events. Roads are BAER critical values that need to be assessed for these threats. The BAER team recommends emergency stabilization treatments and actions to minimize those threats.

Critical drainage crossings are identified by BAER assessment team road engineers and hydrologists. They evaluate the condition of existing drainage structures and road conditions for their BAER assessment report. The specialists also evaluate the burned area road culverts for risk of plugging during fall/winter storms. They inspect these crossings to prescribe the most effective BAER treatment to protect the road prisms from washing away during major storm events.

 

These two photos below are Forest Service 2N06 Road in the Radford burned area.

 

 

This photo shows a recent debris flow that initiated during the September 12, 2022, rainstorm event and deposited debris on the crossing of Forest Service Road 2N06 in the Radford burned area.

 

In the photo below, Forest Service hydrologist Andy Stone assesses the point where drainages cross a Forest Service Road within the Radford burned area.

 

BAER hydrologists model post-fire watershed responses under typical storm conditions to determine if there is a risk of flooding or increased water flows that could undermine or damage the roads and/or result in dangerous situations for Forest visitors or employees.

 

Below is a watershed drainage that crossed a road in the Radford burned area that the BAER hydrologists evaluated and included in their assessment report.

 

The photo below shows a road culvert that had been damaged and no longer functioned as a drainage structure.

 

This photo shows fresh surface failures, slopes and channels loaded with un-consolidated sediments of all sizes of rocks and sediment available to be transported during rainstorms in the Fairview burned area. The photo also shows recent flows in the Bautista Creek following the September 11, 2022, rainstorm event.

 

Along with roads, trails are also a BAER critical value that are assessed for potential threats from flash flooding, debris flows impacting drainage crossings and the overall trail prisms and infrastructure due to increased erosion, sedimentation, and water flows. Forest Service Recreation Specialists assessed trails within the Radford and Fairview burned areas.

The last photo below shows a portion of Skyline trail along a ridge in the Radford burned area that was evaluated for the BAER assessment team report along with BAER emergency stabilization treatment recommendations to minimize threats from potential rainstorm threats.

NOTE: For bigger view of each of the above photos, please go to the Photos Tab of this InciWeb page.

 

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. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service websites:  www.weather.gov/sto/ and www.weather.gov/eka/.

POST-FIRE BAER SOIL BURN SEVERITY MAPS RELEASED

Radford Post-Fire Soil Burn Severity Map
  

Forest Service BAER team specialists recently completed their field data gathering on federal lands burned by the Radford and Fairview fires. The post-fire maps and data display soil burn severity (SBS) categories of unburned/very low, low, moderate, and high.

 

For the Radford Fire, the BAER team analyzed approximately 1,076 acres and its burned watersheds for the different levels of SBS. Approximately 60% of the total acres are either unburned/very low or low SBS, while 29% are moderate SBS and11% are high SBS.

 

The BAER team’s Radford post-fire assessment shows the land ownership acreage to be:

•  1,076 acres of San Bernardino National Forest (NF) land.

 

For the Fairview Fire, the BAER team analyzed approximately 28,777 acres and its burned watersheds for the different levels of SBS. Approximately 68% of the total acres are either unburned/very low or low SBS, while 31% are moderate SBS and only 1% are high SBS.

 

The BAER team’s Fairview post-fire assessment shows the land ownership acreage for land ownership to be:

• 13,571 acres of San Bernardino National Forest (NF) land,
• 11,897 acres of private lands,
•  3,056 of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, and
•     253 acres of CA State lands.

 

The BAER assessment team used preliminary remote sensing data based on satellite imagery within the fire perimeter with field-validated data collected over several days to produce the final Radford and Fairview Post-Fire SBS maps.

 

The BAER assessment team coordinates with other local and federal agencies such as county and state officials, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), California Office of Emergency Services (CALOES), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Weather Service (NWS), US Geological Survey (USGS), and Tribes to share information about burned watershed conditions and their predicted response during certain weather events.

 

The SBS map products are an estimate of fire effects on soils and not a measure of direct effects to vegetation. SBS characterizes the soil surface and below-ground impact, whereas effects on vegetation are estimates of mortality based primarily on changes in vegetation canopy. Another post-fire map that is sometimes produced by fire managers, is the Rapid Assessment of Vegetation Condition after Wildfire (RAVG) map. That mapping program produces data describing post-fire vegetation conditions on federal lands. Changes in overhead and understory vegetation canopy are often used as initial indicators of overall vegetation burn severity, but do not necessarily coincide with SBS.

 

Changes in soil cover, water repellency, and soil physical/biological conditions guide the interpretations to determine the severity burn level of the soil. Water repellency can occur naturally in soil and may change because of fire. Fire can increase the strength and thickness (or depth) of water-repellent layers in soil, considerably affecting post-fire water runoff and possibly extending time for recovery of the burned area.

 

Soil burn severity indicators can be found within the Rocky Mountain Research Station’s General Technical Report 243 – Field Guide for Mapping Post-Fire Soil Burn Severity https://www.fs.usda.gov/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr243.pdf and are described below.

 

Low SBS generally occurs where surface organic layers are not completely consumed and are still recognizable. Structural aggregate stability is not changed from its unburned condition, and roots are generally unchanged because the heat pulse below the soil surface was not great enough to consume or char any underlying organics. The ground surface, including any exposed mineral soil, may appear brown or black (lightly charred), and the canopy and understory vegetation will likely appear “green.” Lower risk for accelerated runoff, erosion, flooding, and debris flows is expected within and below these areas compared to moderate and high SBS.

 

In areas with moderate SBS, up to 80% of the pre-fire ground cover (litter and ground fuels) is consumed. Fine roots may be scorched but are rarely completely consumed over much of the area. The color of the ash on the surface is generally blackened with possible gray patches. There may be potential for recruitment of effective ground cover from scorched needles or leaves remaining in the canopy that will soon fall to the ground. The prevailing color of the site is often “brown” due to canopy needle and other vegetation scorch. Soil structure is generally unchanged. Where greater amounts of reduced soil cover and increased water repellency occur, increased overland flow of water from precipitation is expected, most notably in locations where the overstory canopy no longer exists.

 

High SBS occurs where all or nearly all the pre-fire ground cover and surface organic matter (litter, duff, and fine roots) are consumed, and charring may be visible on larger roots. The prevailing color of the site is often “black” due to extensive charring. Bare soil or ash is exposed and susceptible to erosion, and aggregate structure may be less stable. White or gray ash (up to several centimeters in depth) indicates that considerable ground cover or fuels were consumed. Sometimes very large tree roots are entirely burned extending from a charred stump hole. Soil is often gray, orange, or reddish at the ground surface where large fuels were concentrated and consumed.

 

Generally, there is 100% conifer tree mortality in forested areas with high SBS, and tree recovery will take many years without planting. In high SBS, the exposed bare soil is very prone to post-fire impacts. Precipitation events on damaged soil can cause excessive soil erosion, resulting in higher volumes of sediment delivery to adjacent creeks and rivers. There is increased likelihood for flooding and debris flows. These threats can individually or cumulatively increase the risk to human life and safety, property, infrastructure, and important critical natural and cultural resources.

 

The BAER team used Radford and Fairview SBS data to analyze and model post-fire hydrologic response for each of the burned area watersheds to determine if there are threats or risks to BAER critical values: human life and safety, property, critical natural resources, and critical cultural resources. The team shares its analysis with cooperating agencies such as CalOES, NRCS, and San Bernardino and Riverside counties who have the authority to work with private property owners downstream from the burned area that potentially may have post-fire threats from increased water and debris flows. The BAER team’s analysis and findings will be documented in an assessment report that will be posted to the Radford and Fairview Post-Fire BAER InciWeb pages after the report has been reviewed and approved by Forest Service leadership. The BAER team plans to summarize and share the watershed response results for both wildfires prior to releasing the entire assessment report.

 

Both SBS maps can be downloaded at the two Post-Fire BAER InciWeb sites (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8425/ and https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8426/) as a JPEG or PDF format image under the “Maps” tab.

 

For additional information about understanding SBS, see: Post-Fire Effects Understanding Soil Burn Severity - InciWeb the Incident Information System (nwcg.gov).

 

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. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/sgx/.

Post-Fire Effects Understanding Soil Burn Severity

BAER Burned Area Emergency Response Information Brief

We tend to think of wildfire burn severity in terms of the visual impacts to above-ground vegetation, but the post-fire landscape response (erosion, flooding, and mass movement) is generally more strongly correlated to soil burn severity. When characterizing soil burn severity, looking at the vegetation is a good starting place to understand the conditions on the ground. Armed with that information, the BAER team’s watershed specialists (soil scientists, hydrologists, and geologists) ground-truth different vegetation burn intensities to tease out patterns of how fire affected and changed the properties of the soil.  Pre-fire ground cover, forest type, fire behavior, slope, aspect, and other factors all influence soil burn severity.  After field observations are collected, specialists adjust the vegetation severity map to create the soil burn severity (SBS) map.  The SBS is broken into four different classes: unburned (green), low severity (blue), moderate severity (yellow), and high severity (red).

So, what do these different classifications mean?

LOW severity areas generally have intact and recognizable litter layers (organic material on the forest floor, such as pine needles and twigs).  These litter layers may be charred, but are not consumed.  Underlying topsoil is intact and near-surface fine roots are unburned.  These soils have enough cover to protect them from erosion during rain events because their natural porosity and structure allow rain to soak into the soil instead of running off, while fine roots provide stability.  In low severity areas, burns may have been patchy—islands of green vegetation and intact canopies may be present. 

MODERATE severity areas generally have more—up to 80% of their pre-fire surface litter layers consumed by fire.  Black or gray ash may be present on the soil surface. Fine roots near the surface may be scorched and killed.  Topsoil layers are generally intact with minimal impacts to the soil’s ability to absorb moisture. Soils with moderate severity are more susceptible to erosion in post-fire rain events because they have lost protective surface cover and may have less surface stability because of root mortality.

HIGH severity areas generally have had all their pre-fire surface litter layers consumed by fire. White or gray ash may be present on the soil surface. Fine roots are often fully burned/consumed within several inches of the soil surface, and even large tree roots may have burned deep into the soil.  Soil may be powdery or grainy and loose, unable to bind together and retain water. These soils are very susceptible to erosion and often have high surface run-off during rainstorms.

So, what does the BAER team do with the SBS map?

The BAER team uses the SBS map to make predictions about how the landscape will respond after fires. Soil scientists consider where soil productivity will be degraded due to erosion losses and where sediment may move into stream channels. Hydrologists use the SBS to predict watershed response—surface runoff from high SBS areas in rainstorms can produce more “flashy” behavior in stream systems.  Geologists use the SBS to inform predictions for debris flow or other mass movement potential based on reduced soil stability in steep drainages.

BAER teams focus on emergency responses to stabilize burned areas that may impact federal lands critical infrastructure or other values located within or immediately downstream of moderate and high soil burn severity areas.

FOREST SERVICE BAER TEAM BEGINS POST-FIRE ASSESSMENT OF RADFORD AND FAIRVIEW FIRES

 

A Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has been established by the San Bernardino National Forest (NF) to begin post-fire burned area assessments of the Radford and Fairview fires that recently burned on Forest Service federal lands, and private lands. The BAER team leader is Luke Rutten, Forest Service Hydrologist. Forest Service BAER team assessments typically take approximately two weeks to complete.

 

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

 

BAER surveys are rapid assessments that evaluate the burned area to identify watersheds having increased potential for post-fire flooding, sediment flows and rockslides, and assist land managers to prepare the burned area for seasonal thunder cell storms. The team focus is on potential emergency impacts to life and safety on federal land. 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, archeologists, and geographic information 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 teams utilize satellite imagery and specialist data to analyze and produce a runoff map that shows the levels of hydrological potential flows during rain events. This is the first step in assessing potential watershed impacts from wildfires to any federal values that may be at-risk from potential increased flooding, sedimentation, debris flows, and rockslides. BAER teams produce a report that describes potential threats associated with the burned area’s post-fire conditions and sometimes include recommended emergency stabilization measures and actions. BAER emergency response efforts are focused on the protection of human life, safety, and property, as well as critical cultural and natural resource values such as the water quality of streams and wetlands on federal lands.

 

BAER reports are shared with interagency cooperators such as California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), NRCS, and counties 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 resulted 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/.

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. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/sgx/.

Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Limitations

While many wildfires cause minimal damage to the land and pose few threats to the land or people downstream, some fires result in damage that requires special efforts to reduce impacts afterwards. Loss of vegetation exposes soil to erosion; water run-off may increase and cause flooding, soil and rock may move downstream and damage property or fill reservoirs putting community water supplies and endangered species at-risk.

The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program is designed to identify and manage potential risks to resources on National Forest System lands and reduce these threats through appropriate emergency measures to protect human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources. BAER is an emergency program for stabilization work that involves time-critical activities to be completed before the first damaging storm event to meet program objectives.

BAER Objectives:

• Determine whether imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands exist and take immediate actions, as appropriate, to manage the unacceptable risks.
• If emergency conditions are identified, mitigate significant threats to human life and safety, Forest Service property and other critical natural and cultural resource values.
• Prescribe emergency response actions to stabilize and prevent unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural resources, to minimize threats to life or property resulting from the effects of a fire, or to repair/replace/construct physical improvements necessary to prevent degradation of land or resources.
• Implement emergency response actions to help stabilize soil; control water, sediment and debris movement and potentially reduce threats to the BAER critical values identified above when an analysis shows that planned actions are likely to reduce risks substantially within the first year following containment of the fire.
• Monitor the implementation and effectiveness of emergency treatments that were applied on National Forest System lands.

BAER Interagency Coordination:

Post-fire emergency response is a shared responsibility. There are several Federal, State and local agencies that have emergency response responsibilities or authorities in the post-fire environment. The BAER team coordinates with these agencies to look at the full scope and scale of the situation to reduce the potential threats to human life and property. It is important that BAER efforts are communicated with all affected and interested cooperating agencies and organizations regarding other post-fire recovery and restoration efforts.

BAER treatments cannot prevent all of the potential flooding or soil erosion impacts, especially after a wildfire-changed landscape. It is important for the public to stay informed and prepared for potentially dramatic increased run-off events.

One of the most effective BAER strategies is interagency coordination to provide post-fire threat information to local cooperators who can assist affected businesses, homes, and landowners to prepare for rain events. For example, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program for post-emergency assistance on private and tribal land, the National Weather Service (NWS) has responsibility for flood warning alerts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has flood insurance and other responsibilities if the area is a Presidentially-declared emergency, Resource Conservation Districts (RCD) and counties, as well as State and local-highway and emergency services departments, Flood Control authorities, etc. It is important that landowners work directly with NRCS and other agencies to determine appropriate actions needed to protect private structures and other assets.

BAER Process:

BAER assessment teams are staffed by specially trained professionals that may include: hydrologists, soil scientists, engineers, biologists, botanists, archeologists, and others who evaluate the burned area and prescribe temporary emergency stabilization actions on National Forest System lands to protect the land quickly and effectively. BAER assessments usually begin before a wildfire has been fully contained.

A BAER assessment team conducts field surveys and uses science-based models to rapidly evaluate and assess the burned area and prescribe emergency stabilization measures. The team generates a “Soil Burn Severity” map by using satellite imagery which is then validated and adjusted by BAER team field surveys to assess watershed conditions and model potential watershed response from the wildfire. The map identifies areas of soil burn severity by categories of very low/unburned, low, moderate, and high which may correspond to a projected increase in watershed response. The higher the burn severity, the less the soil will be able to absorb water when it rains. Without absorption, there will be increased run-off with the potential of flooding.

The BAER team presents these findings in an assessment report that identifies immediate and emergency actions needed to address post-fire risks to human life and safety, property, cultural and critical natural resources. This includes early detection and rapid response (EDRR) treatments to prevent the spread of noxious weeds into native plant communities. The BAER report describes watershed pre- and post-fire watershed response information, areas of concern for life and property, and recommended short-term emergency stabilization measures for Forest Service lands that burned.

In most cases, only a portion of the burned area is actually treated. Severely burned areas steep slopes, and places where water run-off will be excessive and may impact important resources, are focus areas and described in the BAER assessment report if they affect critical values. Response action timing is essential to ensure the emergency stabilization measures are effective.

There are a variety of emergency stabilization actions that the BAER team can recommend for Forest Service land such as mulching with agricultural straw or chipped wood to protect soil productivity, increasing road drainage to keep roads and bridges from washing-out during post-fire floods, and early detection rapid response invasive plant treatments to prevent spread of weeds into native plant communities. BAER treatments are preventative in nature but cannot prevent all damage, especially debris torrents in areas that are prone to sliding and have lost critical root structure from plants.

The Cans and Cannots of BAER:

What BAER Can Do:

• Install water or erosion control devices
• Seed or mulch for erosion control or stability reasons
• Install erosion control measures at critical cultural sites
• Install temporary barriers to protect treated or recovering areas
• Install warning signs
• Replace minor safety related facilities, like burned guard rails
• Install appropriate-sized drainage features on roads, trails
• Remove critical safety hazards
• Prevent permanent loss of T&E habitat
• Monitor BAER treatments
• Implement EDRR treatments to minimize the spread of noxious weeds into native plant communities

What BAER Cannot Do:

• Prevent all flooding and debris flows
• Replant commercial forests or grass for forage
• Excavate and interpret cultural sites
• Replace burned pasture fences
• Install interpretive signs
• Replace burned buildings, bridges, corrals, etc.
• Repair roads damaged by floods after fire
• Remove all hazard trees
• Replace burned habitat
• Monitor fire effects
• Treat pre-existing noxious weeds

BAER Funding:

Special Emergency Wildfire Suppression funds are authorized for BAER activities and the amount of these expenses varies with the severity of the fire season. Some years see little BAER activity while other years are extremely busy.

Because of the emergency nature of BAER, initial requests for funding of proposed BAER treatments are supposed to be submitted by the Forest Supervisor to the Regional Office within7 days of total containment of the fire. The Regional Forester’s approval authority for individual BAER projects is limited. Approval for BAER projects exceeding this limit is forwarded onto the Washington Office.

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. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service websites: www.weather.gov/sgx/.

KEY ELEMENTS OF A BAER ASSESSMENT

 

Forest Service BAER assessment teams are established by Forest Supervisors before wildfires are fully contained. The teams coordinate and work with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), National Weather Service (NWS), local counties, State Department of Transportation, and other federal, state, and local agencies to strategically assess potential post-fire impacts to the watersheds burned from wildland fires.

The BAER assessment teams are evaluating watershed conditions to determine the level of potential risks to human life, safety, property, critical natural and cultural-heritage resources, and determine if there are appropriate and effective emergency stabilization measures that can be implemented on federal lands in a timely manner to reduce unacceptable risks from potential flooding and debris flow threats.

The BAER assessment team conducts field surveys and uses science-based models to rapidly evaluate and assess the burned area.

BAER assessment teams are staffed by specially trained professionals that may include: hydrologists, soil scientists, engineers, geologists, biologists, botanists, archeologists, geographic information system mapping specialists, recreation and trails specialists, and others who evaluate the burned area and prescribe emergency response actions to protect the land quickly and effectively.

BAER assessments usually begin before a wildfire has been fully contained.

The BAER assessment team generates a “Soil Burn Severity” map by using satellite imagery which is then validated and adjusted by BAER team field surveys to assess watershed conditions and watershed response to the wildfire. The map identifies areas of soil burn severity by categories of low/unburned, moderate, and high which corresponds to a projected increase in watershed response.

The BAER team presents these findings and treatment recommendations to the Forest Supervisor in an assessment report that identifies immediate and emergency stabilization actions needed to address potential post-fire risks to human life and safety, property, cultural-heritage and critical natural resources on National Forest System lands.

The BAER report describes watershed pre- and post-fire response information, areas of concern for human life, safety and property, and recommended short-term emergency stabilization actions for federal lands that burned.

In most cases, only a portion of the burned area is actually treated.

If the BAER assessment team determines there may be potential emergency situations, the short-term goal is to have flood and erosion control protection measures completed before the first large, damaging rain events occur.

Timely implementation is critical if BAER emergency response actions are to be effective.

The BAER assessment team coordinates with other federal and local agencies, and counties that assist private landowners in preparing for increased run-off and potential flooding.

Federal assistance to private landowners regarding post-fire potential impacts is the primary responsibility of the NRCS through the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program (www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/landscape/ewpp/)

NRCS in coordination with additional state, local and federal agencies conduct damage survey reports for the private land adjacent to and downstream from the burned areas. NRCS uses these reports, along with the BAER team’s assessment report, to develop recommended emergency measures for businesses and private home and landowners to reduce the impacts to their property from potential increased water and debris flows.

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. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service websites: www.weather.gov/sgx/.

FOREST SERVICE BAER PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program is designed to identify and manage potential risks to resources on National Forest System lands and reduce these threats through appropriate emergency measures to protect human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources. BAER is an emergency program for stabilization work that involves time-critical activities to be completed before the first damaging event to meet program objectives:

BAER Objectives:

-   Determine whether imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands exist and take immediate actions, as appropriate, to manage the unacceptable risks.

-   If emergency conditions are identified, mitigate significant threats to health, safety, human life, property, and critical cultural and natural resources.

-   Prescribe emergency response actions to stabilize and prevent unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural resources, to minimize threats to critical values resulting from the effects of a fire, or to repair/replace/construct physical improvements necessary to prevent degradation of land or resources.

-   Implement emergency response actions to help stabilize soil; control water, sediment and debris movement and potentially reduce threats to the BAER critical values identified above when an analysis shows that planned actions are likely to reduce risks substantially within the first year following containment of the fire.

-   Monitor the implementation and effectiveness of emergency treatments that were applied on National Forest System lands.

While many wildfires cause minimal damage to the land and pose few threats to the land or people downstream, some fires result in damage that requires special efforts to reduce impacts afterwards. Loss of vegetation exposes soil to erosion; water run-off may increase, and cause flooding, soil and rock may move downstream and damage property or fill reservoirs putting community water supplies and endangered species at-risk.

The BAER team presents these findings in an assessment report that identifies immediate and emergency actions needed to address post-fire risks to human life and safety, property, cultural and critical natural resources. This includes early detection and rapid response (EDRR) treatments to prevent the spread of noxious weeds into native plant communities. The BAER report describes watershed pre- and post-fire watershed response information, areas of concern for life and property, and recommended short-term emergency stabilization measures for Forest Service lands that burned.

In most cases, only a portion of the burned area is actually treated. Severely burned areas steep slopes, and places where water run-off will be excessive and may impact important resources, are focus areas and described in the BAER assessment report if they affect critical values. Time is critical if the emergency stabilization measures are to be effective.

A BAER assessment team conducts field surveys and uses science-based models to rapidly evaluate and assess the burned area and prescribe emergency stabilization measures. The team generates a “Soil Burn Severity” map by using satellite imagery which is then validated and adjusted by BAER team field surveys to assess watershed conditions and model potential watershed response from the wildfire. The map identifies areas of soil burn severity by categories of very low/unburned, low, moderate, and high which may correspond to a projected increase in watershed response. The higher the burn severity, the less the soil will be able to absorb water when it rains. Without absorption, there will be increased run-off with the potential of flooding.

BAER Funding:

Special Emergency Wildfire Suppression funds are authorized for BAER activities and the amount of these expenses varies with the severity of the fire season. Some years see little BAER activity while other years are extremely busy.

Because of the emergency nature of BAER, initial requests for funding of proposed BAER treatments are supposed to be submitted by the Forest Supervisor to the Regional Office within 7 days of total containment of the fire. The Regional Forester’s approval authority for individual BAER projects is limited. Approval for BAER projects exceeding this limit is to the Washington Office.

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. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/sgx/.

THREE PHASES OF WILDFIRE RECOVERY

 

There are three phases of recovery following wildfires on federal lands:

-       Fire Suppression Repair

-       Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)

-       Long-Term Recovery and Restoration

Fire Suppression Repair is a series of immediate post-fire actions taken to repair damages and minimize potential soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression activities and usually begins before the fire is contained, and before the demobilization of an Incident Management Team. This work repairs the hand and dozer fire lines, roads, trails, staging areas, safety zones, and drop points used during fire suppression efforts.

Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) is a rapid assessment of burned watersheds by a BAER team to identify imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands and take immediate actions to implement emergency stabilization measures before the first post-fire damaging events. Fires result in loss of vegetation, exposure of soil to erosion, and increased water runoff that may lead to flooding, increased sediment, debris flows, and damage to critical natural and cultural resources. BAER actions such as: mulching, seeding, installation of erosion and water run-off control structures, temporary barriers to protect recovering areas, and installation of warning signs may be implemented. BAER work may also replace safety related facilities; remove safety hazards; prevent permanent loss of habitat for threatened and endangered species; prevent the spread of noxious weeds and protect critical cultural resources.

Long-Term Recovery and Restoration utilizes non-emergency actions to improve fire-damaged lands that are unlikely to recover naturally and to repair or replace facilities damaged by the fire that are not critical to life and safety. This phase may include restoring burned habitat, reforestation, other planting or seeding, monitoring fire effects, replacing burned fences, interpreting cultural sites, treating noxious weed infestations, and installing interpretive signs.

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. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/sgx/.

The Central Idaho Dispatch Zone is at MODERATE Fire Danger 

The Salmon-Challis National Forest has had one (1) new fire in the last week.  To date, there have been 48 wildfires reported on the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  41 of those reported fires are out.  

Patterson Fire (September 29): The lightning fire is estimated at 37 acres.  The fire is located approximately 13 miles southeast of May on the Challis-Yankee Fork Ranger District.  The fire is burning in subalpine and Douglas fir.  Firefighters are on scene; the fire is under a combination of a point protection and confine and contain strategies.  This strategy focuses operations on protecting valued resources such as structures, natural resources, cultural resources, and other property.  Additionally, firefighters are working to safely connect natural barriers in the area and improving access and holding feature in the area.  Risk to responders and public safety is the number priority for the Patterson Fire.  

Horse Fire (September 8): The fire, located approximately 5½ miles northwest of Corn Creek on the North Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness is estimated at 397 acres.  The fire is burning in lodgepole, fir, and snags.  The fire is being managed under a point protection strategy.  Fire activity is minimal, the fire is smoldering in the interior of the perimeter.  The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8416/.  

Owl Fire (September 8): The fire, located approximately 20 miles west of North Fork on the North Fork Ranger District, is 747 acres.  The fire, burning in grass, brush, Douglas fir, and snags is 100% contained.  The fire is on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8416/.   

Norton (August 1):  The lightning fire is located approximately seven miles northwest of Lower Loon Creek on the Middle Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.  The 9,054 acre fire burning in subalpine fir, Douglas fir, sagebrush, and grass is located in steep rugged terrain.  Fire activity is minimal, the fire is smoldering with most of the activity on the west side of the fire.  The fire is under a point protection strategy, fire managers are utilizing air resources to determine action points and assess values in the vicinity.  Fire managers continue to assess the fire using remote cameras and aircraft.  The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8308/.   

Moose (July 17):  The fire is being updated separately and can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8249/. 

Woodtick (July 14):  The lightning fire started as two separate fires approximately six (6) miles west, northwest of Meyers Cove on the Middle Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.  The 9,598 acre fire burning in timber, grass, and brush is located in steep rugged terrain.  Fire activity is minimal, the fire is creeping.  The fire is under a point protection and confine and contain strategies with risk to responders and public safety being the top priority.  The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8253/. 

Wolf Fang Fire (July 13):  The lightning fire is located approximately four (4) miles northeast of the confluence of Big Creek and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness on the North Fork Ranger District.  The 2,082 acre fire burning in spruce and fir is located in steep, rugged terrain.  Fire activity is minimal, the fire is smoldering.  Risk to responders and public safety are the top priorities for the Wolf Fang Fire.  Due to the inaccessibility of the terrain and snag hazards a remote camera and aviation are assessing the fire daily.  The fire can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8273/.  

Weather:  Under the influence of high pressure through the weekend, warm and dry conditions will prevail through Friday with a slight cooldown expected over the weekend. Afternoon humidities will remain dry as winds stay light through the start of next week. Our next system is on track to arrive midweek next week with increased winds ahead of and during the event with chances for rain and high elevation snow. 

The forest is asking visitors to be aware of the MODERATE fire danger for the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  One Less Spark Means One Less Wildfire.  

Nationally, there are 13 uncontained large fires being managed under a full suppression strategy and 66 large fires managed under a strategy other than full suppression.  

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