While the evacuation remains in place for Bryce Woodlands Estates, the Kane County Sheriff will be offering limited escorts into the area. This is restricted to residents only, allowing them to gather and remove personal items from their property. We ask that that residents bring proof of ownership, as well as few vehicles/people as possible. This effort will be coordinated by the Sheriff's Deputy staffing the evacuation closure. Escorts are allowed between the hours of 8am-6pm, and residents are asked to minimize the time within the closure to mitigate risk. This escort may be rescinded as fire behavior changes. Residents who do temporarily enter the area should be prepared to leave at any time should the situation change. #LeftForkFire

On Tuesday, June 21, 2022 Kane County Sheriff issued an evacuation of the Bryce Woodlands Estates, based on a recommendation from the Incident Management Team managing the #LeftForkFire. Due to increased wind and fire behavior, the fire has crossed the fire lines on the southwest corner. Fire managers make this recommendation as a precaution for both firefighter and public safety if the fire continues to progress in that direction. Kane County Deputies and the Kane County Fire Warden are currently in Bryce Woodlands notifying the residents and helping them evacuate. Please avoid the area if possible.

 Left Fork Fire Incident Update

                        STATUS

Order Number: 0407-22-11
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
FOREST SERVICE
DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST
POWELL RANGER DISTRICT
 
Left Fork Fire Emergency Area, Road and Trail Closure
 
This Order rescinds and replaces Order Number 0407-22-10 issued on June 20, 2022.

A. PROHIBITIONS
Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 551 and 36 CFR 261.50, the following acts are prohibited in the area described in this Order, located within the Powell Ranger District, Dixie National Forest, which is closed for safety due to wildland fire:

It is prohibited to go into or be upon the area, roads, and trails described below, which are closed for the protection of Public Health and Safety. 36 CFR 261.52(e), 261.54(e), 261.55(a).
 
B. EXEMPTIONS
Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.50(e), the following are exempt from this order:
1. Persons with a permit specifically exempting them from the effect of this Order.
2. Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty.
3. Livestock permittees inside of the following allotments: East Fork, Kanab Creek, and the Upper Blubber.

C. CLOSED AREA, ROADS, AND TRAIL
Closed Area: The area closed by this Order is depicted on the Map attached hereto as Exhibit A, which is incorporated herein by reference, and is generally described as:

An area of National Forest System lands bounded north Forest Road 109 (Badger Creek, Proctor Canyon), to Forest Road 110, east to Forest Road 1128 and 1129 (Ingram Hollow), west from the boundary of Bryce Canyon National Park continuing south to Forest Road 242 (Lower Podunk Trail Head) along the Forest boundary continuing south, southwest, and west including the Forest boundary to Forest Road 109 (Proctor Canyon). 
 
D. PURPOSE
The purpose of this Order is to protect public safety during the Left Fork Fire suppression operations.
 
E. IMPLEMENTATION
1. This Order is effective on Monday June 21, 2022, at 6 A.M. and shall remain in effect until July 31, 2022, or until rescinded, whichever is sooner.
2. Exhibit A, Map, is attached and incorporated into this Order.

A violation of these prohibitions is punishable as a class B misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization and/or imprisonment of not more than 6 months [16 USC 551, 18 USC 3559, 3571, 3581].

Signed this 20th day of June 2022, at Cedar City, Utah
Kevin Wright Forest Supervisor, Dixie National Forest
Order Number: 0407-22-11 
 

 Left Fork Fire Incident Update
 

 Left Fork Fire Incident Update
 

 Left Fork Fire Incident Update  

Left Fork Fire

Incident Update 

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz., June 24, 2022 – Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) specialists recently completed their field data evaluation to produce the Soil Burn Severity (SBS) map for the Pipeline Fire, which delineate unburned, low, moderate, and high SBS categories.

The BAER team assessing the Pipeline Fire determined that approximately 1,310 acres (1%) of the fire is unburned, approximately 15,004 acres (56%) have low soil burn severity, approximately 9,141 acres (34%) sustained a moderate SBS and approximately 1,315 acres (5%) were identified as having high SBS.

The SBS map product is an estimate of fire effects to soils, not fire effects to vegetation. SBS characterizes fire effects to the soil surface and below ground. Fire effects to vegetation would include an estimate of vegetation mortality and does not always correlate with degree of soil burn severity.

Moderate and high soil burn severity can alter or damage physical, chemical, and biological soil properties resulting in increased runoff, erosion, and negative effects to soil productivity. These soil properties include but are not limited to hydrophobicity (water repellency), soil organic matter content, soil pore space, soil cover (effective litter), and soil structure (degree of aggregation).

Changes to these soil properties determine the degree of soil burn severity. Water repellency often occurs naturally in soils, and it changes as a function of fire. It is frequently discussed as a post-fire effect. 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.

The Pipeline BAER team used remote sensing imagery with field-validated soils data to produce the final SBS map. The BAER team will use the SBS map as an analysis tool to estimate post-fire erosion with subsequent sediment delivery, stream flows and debris flow probabilities. The map is also being shared with cooperating agencies.

The Pipeline Fire soil burn severity map can be downloaded from the Pipeline Fire BAER InciWeb site as a JPEG or PDF version under the Maps tab.