Burns, OR – Northwest Incident Management Team 7 assumed command of the Big Meadow Fire yesterday evening at 7:00 p.m.

The Big Meadow Fire started on September 9th, 2021. The fire started from a late season lightning storm in the Dry Mountain area north of Riley, Oregon. The fire is burning in steep rocky terrain with limited firefighter access.

Control objectives are to keep the south of Upper Valley Road, west of Egypt Well, north of Big Ridge and east of private property and the land protected by the Silver Creek Rangeland Fire Protection Association and Oregon Department of Forestry.

Today, firefighters will continue with reinforcing the fire perimeter that was constructed by the Type 3 Team. Operations will look to secure lines ahead of the forecasted dry front and associated winds. Crews will also work to bring water to the fireline as some areas can’t be accessed by engines due to the rocky terrain. This will mean hiking hoses into the fire footprint.

Crews will continue to grid within the fire area for hot spots and continue mop up operations. There were a couple of hot spots outside of the fireline that crews will work to secure and mop up.

Air operations will continue to support the firefighters as needed. A type one helicopter is assigned to the fire as well as a type 3 helicopter to help provide crews with a bird's eye view of what the fire is doing.

Weather: Another warm day is forecasted with temperatures to the mid to upper 70’s and low relative humidity. A dry cold front will start to move into the area starting today which will bring high northwest winds with ridgetop gusts predicted at 20-25mph. There is moisture predicted to enter the area starting Friday going into Saturday.

Smoke: There may be smoke in the area due to the elevated winds.

Hunting Season: It’s September and that means it’s also hunting season. We are asking the public to be aware of the elevated hunting and fire traffic in the area.

Closures: There are closures in place around the fire area. These closures are on Bureau of Land Management lands and Forest Service lands. Please adhere to these closures for firefighter and public safety.

Prevention Message: Safety is our number one priority. Please continue to do all you can to prevent wildfires.

The Malheur National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management are in an IFPL level 3.

The Incident Command Post is at the Harney County Fairgrounds in Hines, Oregon.

 

 

Wildfire season isn’t over yet. On Thursday, September 9, Harney County received abundant late afternoon and evening lightning, and two positive strikes in the Dry Mountain area north of Riley sparked separate wildfires with surprising acreage for this time of year. Quick response from the Silver Creek Rangeland Fire Protection Association, Burns Interagency Fire Zone and private contractors kept the Silver Creek fire at 86 acres before being fully contained on September 11. The Big Meadow fire, burning in heavy timber, with limited ground access due to rocky and rough terrain, is still active at 2,600 acres and only 15 percent contained.

Once smoke and weather conditions improved on Friday, September 10, a multitude of air resources were able to fly and provide significant suppression support at Big Meadow. Very Large Air Tankers (8,000-gallon capacity), Large Air Tankers (2,000 to 4,000-gallon capacity), Single Engine Air Tankers (800-gallon capacity), a Type 3 Helicopter (180-gallon capacity, and passenger space) and a Type 1 Blackhawk Helicopter (up to 3,000-gallon capacity) – along with Air Attack planes who coordinate and lead these resources from the air – have all been on site, dropping water or retardant to slow fire spread and drown active hot spots.

Air resources are expected to be on scene throughout the week. Ground crews will continue securing control lines and mop-up from the perimeter as containment improves. Type 2 Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 7 assumed control of the Big Meadow fire and assigned staff and equipment on Monday, September 13. Their Incident Command Post and the firefighter base camp are set up in Riley for the duration. Incident management teams provide a command-and-control infrastructure to take care of the operational, logistical, informational, planning, fiscal, community, political, and safety issues associated with complex incidents, essentially allowing local officials to return to normal work.

A closure of both Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service-administered public lands in the Big Meadow fire area is in place. Roads and trails within the closure are off limits to all access – hiking, biking, horseback, ATV, vehicle, etc. – until further notice. Boundary roads along the closure remain open. Maps of the closure area are available at the BLM office at 28910 Highway 20 West in Hines, the Riley Store, and Harney County Sporting Goods, and posted at entry roads in the fire vicinity.

Remember! Wildfire danger still exists! Public use restrictions are still in place – no campfires, personal chainsaw use, explosives, or parking or driving off road.

For more information on the Big Meadow fire or the public land closure in the area, follow Burns Interagency Fire Zone on social media or give us a call at (541) 573-4400.

John Day, Hines and Prairie City, OR. — (September 10, 2021) Multiple resources from the Malheur National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Silver Creek Rural Fire Protection Association (RFPA) responded to a reported wildfire on Thursday evening.
 
The Big Meadow fire, located north of Dry Mountain Lookout, is believed to be caused by lightning and estimated at 3,000 acres. A burnout operation was conducted early this morning to try and stop the progression at Forest Service Road 4130. Ground crews are actively working to suppress the fire. Aerial support will assist when weather conditions improve.   To ensure public and firefighter safety, the following area is temporarily closed as firefighting operations are taking place. Smokey conditions may also reduce visibility to a level that would require additional temporary closures.   

The Closure area consists of all geographical areas on Forest Service land within boundaries of the following description: Starting at the southwest corner of the Malheur National Forest Boundary at T. 22 S, R. 26 E, Sec. 15 and following north to a right turn continuing north until the boundary intersects with Forest Service Road (FSR) 4130335 at T. 21 S, R. 27 E, Sec 22 following FSR 4130335 heading south east to the FSR 4130355 at T. 21 S, R. 27E, Sec. 23 and continuing southwest to the intersection of FSR 41 and FSR 4120 at T. 21 S, R27E, Sec32 following FRS 4120 southwest till it intersects FSR 4126 to the Forest Service boundary at T. 22 S, R. 27 E, Sec. 15. Interior roads will be closed however Boundary roads and trails will remain open.   

For a map of the closure area and more information, please visit us at www.fs.usda.gov/malheur, follow U.S. Forest Service- Malheur National Forest on Facebook, and follow @MalheurNF on Twitter for all the latest forest news.

CALDOR POST-FIRE BAER ASSESSMENT REPORT RELEASED

The Forest Service, Eldorado National Forest, and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit completed a post-fire assessment for emergency stabilization measures and actions on National Forest System (NFS) lands burned by the Caldor Fire.  The emergency treatments and activities are designed to decrease possible impacts to critical values from the burned area such as: life and safety, property, critical natural resources, and cultural resources.

NOTE: Attached below as “Related Information” is a PDF document called “Caldor Post-Fire BAER 2500-8 Int.#1 Report_PUBLIC”.

SPECIAL 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 and landslides may occur quickly during heavy rain events and residents and forest visitors need to be prepared to take action. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: https://www.weather.gov/sto/.

REPORT SUMMARY RELEASED FOR CALDOR POST-FIRE BAER ASSESSMENT

The Forest Service, Eldorado National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin has released a summary of its post-fire assessment for emergency stabilization measures and actions on National Forest System (NFS) lands burned by the Caldor Fire.  The emergency treatments and activities are designed to decrease possible impacts to critical values from the burned area such as: life and safety, property, critical natural resources, and cultural resources.

NOTE: Attached below as “Related Information” is a PDF document called “Caldor Post-Fire BAER Assessment Report Summary”.

SPECIAL NOTE: 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 runoff. Flash flooding may occur quickly during heavy rain events be prepared to take action. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: https://www.weather.gov/sto/.

SPECIAL NOTE: 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 take action. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/sto/.

Caldor Post-Fire BAER—Preparing for Rain Events

POST-FIRE WATERSHED CONDITIONS—KEY MESSAGES

While many wildfires cause minimal damage to the land and pose few threats to the land or people downstream, some fires cause damage that requires special efforts to prevent problems afterwards.

Thunderstorms and winter rain events in the Sierra Nevada mountains can result in high water runoff and flooding.

Wildfire increases the potential for flooding, post-fire soil erosion and debris flows that could impact campgrounds, fishing areas, homes, structures, roads, and other infrastructure within, adjacent to, and downstream from the burned areas.

Post-fire, watershed conditions will naturally receive and transport water and sediment differently than during pre-fire conditions.

The public and communities adjacent to and downstream from the wildfire areas should expect increased flooding and debris transport during less than average rain events.

SAFETY CONCERNS CONTINUE AFTER THE FIRE IS OUT

The potential for increased water runoff and debris flows are not just a one-year concern.

We need to recognize the threat potential of flash floods and debris flows may exist for the next several years, depending on the intensity of these storms.

For life and safety concerns, burned area national forest closures may need to be implemented prior to forecast rain events until the burned area fully recovers.

Residents and visitors should remain alert to weather events and plan ahead when travelling along roads within and downstream from the burned areas of the Caldor Fire.

ASSESSING CALDOR BURNED WATERSHEDS RESPONSE

A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has been working with the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, to assess the condition of the watersheds on National Forest System (NFS) land burned in the Caldor Fire.

The BAER assessment team identifies potential emergency threats to critical BAER values, and recommends emergency stabilization response actions that are implemented on federal land to reduce potential post-fire threats.

BAER critical values that may be considered at-risk on federal lands are:

§  Human life and safety.

§  Property such as buildings, water systems and infrastructure, utility systems, road and trail prisms.

§  Critical natural resources such as water, soil productivity and hydrologic function, areas where invasive species or noxious weeds may impact native or naturalized communities and may include critical habitat or suitable occupied habitat for federally listed threatened or endangered species.

§  Critical cultural and heritage resources such as pre-historic and historic properties and sites.

ASSISTANCE FOR PRIVATE LAND AND HOMEOWNERS ADJACENT TO AND DOWNSTREAM FROM BURNED AREAS

For values and resources potentially impacted off federal lands, one of the most effective BAER strategies is interagency coordination with local cooperators who assist affected businesses, homes, and landowners with preparing for rain events. 

While multi-agency efforts are being taken to reduce the risks to life and safety adjacent to and downstream from the burned areas, nearby residents should develop individual plans to protect themselves and their property. 

The Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) work together and coordinate with other federal, state and local agencies, and counties that assist private landowners in preparing for increased run-off and potential flooding impacts.

NRCS and local sponsors prepare damage survey reports for eligible sites on private lands adjacent to and downstream from affected areas.  NRCS uses these reports, along with the Forest Service BAER team’s assessment report, to develop emergency measures to reduce the impacts from potential increased water and debris flows, and assist local sponsors to implement recommended emergency measures through its Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program: (www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1045263.pdf).

All EWP Program–Recovery projects begin with a local sponsor or legal subdivision of state or tribal government. Eligible sponsors include cities, counties, towns, conservation districts, or any federally-recognized Native American tribe or tribal organization. Interested public and private landowners can apply for EWP Program–Recovery assistance through one of those sponsors. For more information on NRCS Disaster Assistance Programs: NRCS CA Post-Fire Disaster Assistance.

The following state and local county offices of emergency management promote preparedness through its emergency services programs to assist the public to prepare for, respond appropriately to, and quickly recover from natural emergencies that may impact county residents and visitors:

• Recovering from Wildfire-Damage Assessments
• CA WERT Program-Post-Fire Watershed Recovery

• El Dorado County Emergency Services
• El Dorado County – Caldor Fire Recovery Information

• Amador County Office of Emergency Services
• Amador County Transportation & Public Works

• Alpine County Public Works
• Alpine County Emergency Alerts

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 FEMA Wildfire Increases Flood Risk. Other flood preparedness information is available at www.ready.gov/floods and www.floodsmart.gov/.

Emergency Watershed Protection Program | NRCS California (usda.gov)

Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP)

What is the EWP

The Emergency Watershed Protection Program, EWP, was created by Congress to respond to emergencies caused by natural disasters. The program is designed to help people reduce imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fire, drought, earthquakes, windstorms and other natural disasters.

The purpose of the EWP program is to help communities with a common problem. It is generally not an individual assistance program. All projects undertaken must be sponsored by a political subdivision of the State such as a city, county, or a flood control district.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is responsible for administering the program.

What kind of assistance is available

There are two types of assistance available:

Exigency – An imminent threat to life and property exists and requires immediate federal action. Work must generally be completed within five days of accessing the site in order to protect life and property.

Non-Exigency – A situation where the threat to life and property is high enough to constitute an emergency, but the situation is not considered urgent and compelling. Work in this category does not require immediate action, but should be completed as soon as possible (within 220 days from starting work).

NRCS can pay up to 75 percent of emergency measures. The remaining 25 percent comes from local sources and can be in the form of cash, in-kind services or a combination of both.

What are the criteria for assistance

All EWP work must reduce threats to life and property. Work must be economically and environmentally defensible and sound from an engineering standpoint.

EWP work must yield benefits to more than one person. All work must represent the least expensive environmentally sound alternative.

Who is eligible

Public and private landowners are eligible for assistance but must be represented by a project sponsor. The project sponsor must be a public agency of a state, county, or city government, or a special district.

What does the sponsor have to do

Sponsors are responsible for providing land rights to do repair work and for securing all necessary permits.

Sponsors are also responsible for furnishing the local cost share and for implementation of work. The work can be done either through local contracts administered by the sponsor, or the sponsor can use their own equipment and personnel. If sponsors do not have capability to do the work by either of these options, work can also be done by Federal Contract.

For projects where the sponsors or their consultants prepare designs and contract documents, these documents shall be provided to NRCS for review and approval prior to advertising for bids or starting work. Technical assistance costs borne by the sponsor for design and/or inspection will be compensated as an "in-kind service" toward 25 percent cost share as defined in the project agreement.

NRCS will not allow work to be done in streams outside the time limits specified in the necessary permits.

What kind of work can be done

EWP work is not limited exclusively to any one set of prescribed measures. A case-by-case investigation of the needed work is made by NRCS. EWP work can generally include:

• debris removal from stream channels, road culverts and bridge abutments;
• reshaping and protection of eroding banks;
• correction of damaged drainage facilities;
• repair of levees and structures;
• reseeding of damaged areas.

What EWP cannot do

EWP funds cannot be used to solve problems that existed before the disaster. Nor can they be used to improve the level of protection above that which existed prior to the disaster.

EWP cannot fund operation and maintenance work or repair private or public transportation facilities or utilities.

EWP work cannot adversely affect downstream water rights and EWP funds cannot be used to install measures not essential to the reduction of hazards. In addition, EWP funds cannot be used to perform work on measures installed by another federal agency.

How do I get assistance

If your area has suffered severe damage and may qualify under the EWP program, you are encouraged to contact your local flood control district or County Supervisor to request assistance. City and county governments and flood control districts are the most common sponsors of EWP projects.

The sponsor's application should be in the form of a letter signed by a qualified representative of the sponsoring organization. The letter should include information on the nature, location and scope of the problem for which assistance is requested.

Information is available from NRCS offices which explains the eligibility requirements for the EWP program.

Send applications for assistance to the local NRCS field office or to the NRCS state headquarters in Davis. The address is:

State Conservationist
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
430 G Street, #4164
Davis, CA 95616-4164

All applications should be submitted as soon as possible after the event.

See related NRCS EWP Information Brochure link below.

CALDOR POST-FIRE BAER SOIL BURN SEVERITY MAP RELEASED

     

USDA Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) assessment teams are multi-disciplinary teams sent to federal lands following significant wildfires to characterize the fire effects to watersheds, identify imminent post-fire threats to human life and safety, property, infrastructure, and critical natural and cultural resources. Once the assessment is complete, the team develops BAER emergency treatment recommendations to mitigate identified risks. BAER implementation teams are then brought in after the assessment to implement its recommended treatments and action stabilization measures. These teams begin their assessment immediately after the fire threat passes. The team focuses on the direct damage caused by the fire, rather than from fire suppression activities. Post-fire conditions such as loss of vegetation and the changes in the soils will increase the likelihood of floods and may cause potential debris and sediment flow impacts.

For complex fires such as the Caldor Fire, assessments are done as an inter-agency effort which includes a California State Watershed Emergency Response Team (WERT) (Watershed Emergency Response Team (acwi.gov). The CalFire WERT assessment team is currently evaluating burned private and state lands from the Caldor Fire. Both assessment teams share information and data as they complete their burned area evaluations, analysis and subsequent reports.  The teams also collaborate with other agency, utility and private entities.

BAER specialists recently completed their data gathering and analysis of the Caldor burned area to produce a Soil Burn Severity (SBS) map of the 218,952-acre fire. The map and the data display SBS categories of burn severity to include Unburned/Very Low, Low, Moderate, and High. Approximately 47% of the 218,952 acres are either Unburned/Very Low and/or Low SBS, while 40% sustained a Moderate SBS, and about 13% High SBS.

It is important to note that the BAER team assesses the effects to soils and not the effects to vegetation. Soil burn severity characterizes the effects at the soil surface and below-ground whereas vegetation effects are determined based on mortality and vegetation canopy changes. Forest Service silviculture and ecology specialists will be assessing the effects of the fire on the vegetation burned by the Caldor Fire. 

Changes in soil cover, water repellency, and soil physical/biological changes determine the severity level of soil burn severity. Changes in water repellency is a much-discussed fire effect.  Water repellency is a natural soil property. Fire can increase the severity and the thickness of the water repellent soil which has significant effects to post-fire water runoff.

Low SBS indicates there was only partial consumption of fine fuels while litter coverage remains relatively intact on the soil surface. Burning time at the soil surface was short, leaving root systems and root structure undamaged. Vegetative recovery time in the low category will vary based on ecological community but is expected to recover in the short-term.

Moderate SBS indicates nearly all soil cover of vegetative litter and fine fuels was consumed or converted to ash. Because soil cover is significantly reduced, accelerated water runoff is expected. Charring of the mineral soil occurs in Moderate SBS as well as shallow root burning. The extent of the burning of the leaves and needles on the trees (aka tree canopy) can be unpredictable and can range from high to relatively low mortality. Water repellency is often found at the surface and is increased for both in severity and thickness of the water repellent soils which reduces the ability of precipitation to infiltrate the soil surface.

High SBS is the result of higher intensity fire behavior or longer burning time at the soil surface. As a result of the high heat, nearly all the soil cover of vegetative litter and fuels has been consumed leaving bare soil prone to the impacts of precipitation and resulting water runoff. The surface mineral soil has been reduced to powder (single grain) and often several inches thick. This single grain soil is very easy transported or moved during rain events resulting in excessive soil erosion and sediment loading in rivers, streams, and creeks. The roots in the High SBS areas tend to be completely consumed by the resulting heat of the fire above the soil surface. Water repellency does not exist at the surface because water repellent compounds have been vaporized and tends to be found below the powdered soil surface, but the repellency thickness and more severe burning tend to be much greater than a Moderate SBS soil. Generally, there is 100% tree mortality in High SBS soils. Fire-adapted shrubs and vegetation such as bear clover, manzanita, and deer brush tend to come back with vigor because of root sprout; however, because seed sources are consumed in these High SBS areas, conifers may take many years to re-establish without tree planting.

The Caldor BAER assessment team used initial remote sensing imagery with its field validated soils data, to develop and produce the final SBS map. The BAER team and the US Geological Survey (USGS) both use the SBS maps as an analysis tool to estimate post-fire flows, debris flow probability, erosion and sedimentation flow rates. 

The Caldor Fire soil burn severity map can be downloaded at the “Caldor Post-Fire BAER” InciWeb site (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7842/) as a JPEG or PDF version under the “Maps” tab.

SPECIAL NOTE: Everyone near and downstream from the burned areas should remain alert and stay updated on weather conditions that may result in heavy rains over the burn scars. Flash flooding may occur quickly during heavy rain events-be prepared to take action. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/sto/.

JUST THE BAER FACTS: BAER soil scientist shows BAER specialists how to assess soil burn severity

Eldorado National Forest (NF) soil scientist and BAER coordinator Eric Nicita recently escorted new BAER specialists Rocio Espinoza, a Forest Service civil engineer and Forest Service recreation specialist Tyler Segura—both also with the Eldorado NF—into the Caldor burned area. They are testing the soil to see whether it is hydrophobic – aka repels water. The amount of hydrophobicity is an important component to determine how much increased runoff we can expect after a fire. Hydrophobicity is the physical property of a molecule that is seemingly repelled from a mass of water and is considered when mapping watershed response to rainstorms after a wildfire.

The photo below shows Eldorado NF soil scientist Eric Nicita on the left digging out a sample of the burned soil to test for hydrophobic conditions while Eldorado NF recreation specialist Tyler Segura, on the right, watches and learns what to look for. Photo taken by Eldorado NF civil engineer Rocio Espinoza.

 

FOREST SERVICE BAER TEAM

BEGINS POST-FIRE ASSESSMENT OF THE CALDOR FIRE

 

After a large wildfire, sometimes special actions are necessary to provide for public safety and protect critical natural and cultural resources on National Forest System (NFS) lands. For example, loss of vegetation exposes soil to erosion, runoff may increase and cause flooding, and sediment may move downstream damaging roads and infrastructure or put endangered species and cultural resources at-risk. The Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program addresses these situations on NFS lands with the goal of guarding the safety of Forest visitors and employees and protecting federal property, and critical natural or cultural resources from further damage.

A BAER team has been established by the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Eldorado National Forest to begin a burned area assessment of the Caldor Fire. BAER assessments are rapid evaluations of the burned area used to identify unacceptable risks on NFS lands from post-fire threats and to assist land managers with preparing burned areas for rainstorms. The team’s focus is on the emergency actions necessary to protect human life and safety, property, and critical natural and cultural resources on NFS lands. The team shares burned area information from the assessment with other federal, state, and local agencies. Agencies such as USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Weather Service (NWS), and US Geological Survey (USGS) have post-fire responsibilities on state and private lands both within and downstream of burned areas. A California State watershed emergency response team (WERT) is evaluating burned private and state lands. Both teams will be sharing information and data as they complete their assessments and subsequent reports.

BAER teams consist of scientists and specialists including hydrologists, geologists, soil scientists, engineers, botanists, biologists, archeologists, and geographic information specialists. Teams collect data during ground and aerial surveys and complete GIS and modeling to evaluate post-fire risks. The first step in the BAER assessment process is taking pre-fire and post-fire satellite imagery and data collected during ground surveys to produce a soil burn severity map. The soil burn severity provides the baseline information to determine changed watershed conditions for assessing potential watershed impacts from wildfires. This information is then compiled and presented to Forest leadership along with recommended BAER emergency stabilization treatments in a BAER assessment report.

Rainstorm run-off is sometimes, but not always, increased on burn scars. BAER reports are shared with interagency cooperators who work with downstream private homeowners 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/.

SPECIAL NOTE: Everyone near and downstream from the burned areas should remain alert and stay updated on weather conditions that may result in heavy rains over the burn scars. Flash flooding may occur quickly during heavy rain events be prepared to take action. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: https://www.weather.gov/sto/.