THREE PHASES OF WILDFIRE RECOVERY

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

o   Fire Suppression Repair

o   Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)

o   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.

LINK TO BUSH FIRE BRIEFING VIDEOS ON FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/bushfireinfo/videos/

Firefighters say the Monarch Fire burning in Douglas County is holding at 2,324 acres. 

The county says the fire started around 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, about three miles south of Sierra Spirit Ranch near Pinenut Road.

It's currently 97 percent contained.
 
 

GARDNERVILLE, Nev., June 28, 2020 – The Monarch Fire is 97 percent contained and the fire is 2,324 acres. Despite strong winds in the area, minimal fire activity was reported last night and mop up efforts are underway and suppression repair efforts have also begun. The Type 3 Incident Management Team (IMT) will begin demobilization activities and return the incident to the local unit tomorrow, June 29, 2020. Critical fire weather will continue through late afternoon today and the Red Flag Warning expires at 11 p.m.No closures are in place and no injuries have been reported. The fire was reported at 12:41 p.m. on June 24, 2020 and is believed to have been caused by lightning.

GARDNERVILLE, Nev., June 25, 2020 – Yesterday afternoon, June 24, 2020, multiple firefighting agencies responded to a wildland fire burning in the Pine Nut Mountains east of Gardnerville, Nevada. The Monarch Fire was reported at 12:41 p.m. and is burning three miles south of Sierra Spirit Ranch in Douglas County. Pine Nut Road 2 is closed to through traffic.

As of this morning June 25, the wildfire is approximately 2,500 acres, burning in Pinyon Pine and tall grass and is currently five percent contained. No structures are immediately threatened at this time and the fire is believed to be lightning caused from the previous day.

 Responding agencies include East Fork, Central Lyon, North Lake Tahoe, North Lyon, Story County, Tahoe Douglas and Truckee Meadows Fire Protection Districts, Reno Fire Department, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service. For additional information, visit Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6802/.

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Record Courier, Kurt Hildebrand, 

Thursday’s thunderstorms reversed some of the damage Mother Nature did by starting the 2,330-acre Monarch Fire two days earlier.

“The fire did receive some rain, but there are still many hotspots” Fire spokeswoman Lisa Herron said Friday.

Firefighters have a line around 70 percent of the Monarch Fire as of Saturday morning.Full containment is expected by Monday as the fire showed minimal activity on Friday, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center situation report issued on Saturday morning.

Better mapping reduced the size of the fire to 2,330 acres as firefighters begin to demobilize to other incidents. As of Saturday morning, there were 183 firefighters in five hand crews and eight engines working on the fire, a decrease of 93 from the peak staffing on Friday. The Monarch fire cost $931,000 to fight, according to federal officials.

The fire was reported around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday as a smoke plume rose above the Pine Nut Mountains.

There have been no reports of injuries and no homes are threatened.

The fire is burning in high grass, piñon and juniper near the site of the old Preacher Fire.

According to the fire map, it’s burning between Galena Peak and Sugar Loaf near the old Monarch Mine, after which the fire is named.

Responding agencies include East Fork Fire Protection District, Central Lyon, North Lake Tahoe, North Lyon, Story County, Tahoe Douglas and Truckee Meadows Fire Protection Districts, Reno Fire Department, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service.

A new, 1,000-acre fire burning near the former Aurora ghost town 15 miles east of Bridgeport has attracted some of those resources.

firefighters are racing to contain the fire before gusty winds and low humidity arrive noon Saturday.

Easily a dozen lightning strikes were reported around Douglas County on Thursday, setting two small fires above Johnson Lane. One at Toni Court above Fremont was put out by rain and residents while another at the end of Romero was extinguished by East Fork firefighters.

GARDNERVILLE, Nev., June 27, 2020 – Yesterday, Sierra Front Team 1 and assigned units made good progress on the Monarch Fire burning in the Pine Nut Mountains east of Gardnerville, Nevada. The Monarch Fire was reported at 12:41 p.m. on June 24, 2020, and is burning three miles south of Sierra Spirit Ranch in Douglas County.Pine Nut Road 2 is now open and as of this morning June 27, the fire is approximately 2,330 acres, which is less than the initial report of 2,500 acres due to more accurate mapping. The fire remained quiet overnight allowing firefighters to achieve 70 percent containment.

KOLO Ch. 8 Reno, 
 
 MINDEN, Nev. (KOLO) - UPDATE: June 25, 11:20 A.M. The Monarch Fire in Douglas County is now estimated at 2,500 acres. The fire is also reported at 5% containment.

The Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center reports lightning was likely the cause of the fire.

PREVIOUS STORY:

There is a 800-acre fire burning southeast of Gardnerville in Douglas County.

The Monarch Fire is burning in grass and pinyon and juniper, the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center reported. It is burning in the Fish Springs-Pinenut Creek Road area.

It was reported about 12:41 p.m.

Douglas County reported no structures were threatened as of 3:30 p.m.

No roads have been closed at this time. The fire may move east of the Gardnerville and Minden area.
 Agencies responding to the fire include the Bureau of Land Management, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, East Fork Fire District, the U.S. Forest Service and the Nevada Division of Forestry.

Douglas County residents can register their cell phones for reverse 911 calls at this website: https://douglascounty.onthealert.com/Terms/Index/?ReturnUrl=%2f

Douglas County will post updates here: https://www.douglascountynv.gov/cms/One.aspx

The Record Courier, Kurt Hildebrand, khildebrand@recordcourier.com, 
 

IMPORTANT FLOOD MESSAGE AND VIDEO FROM PIMA COUNTY:

Floods can happen anywhere and at any time. But did you know wildfires increase flood risks? It’s true. Wildfires like the Bighorn Fire leave the ground charred, barren, and unable to absorb water. Even a light rain can produce devastating flash floods and mudflows, often with little warning. This video was taken Wednesday, July 15, 2020, in the Cañada del Oro Wash on the northern county line following a minor storm:

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