Fire: Containment on the Springs Fire grew to 68%, with 376 acres burned yesterday (4718 total acres through yesterday). Moderate fire behavior is continuing to be observed and is dependent on weather conditions. Smoke seen today can be attributed to overnight smoldering fuels and daily ignitions as conditions permit. No ignitions are planned for today during daylight hours as forecast winds and low humidity will result in undesirable fire behavior.

Smoke: Yesterday, all monitors (24 hour AQI) values remained in the “good” (green) range with the exception of the Devil’s Postpile AQ monitor that registered into the ”moderate” (yellow). Mammoth, Lee Vining, and Bishop AQ monitors did exceed the “good”(green) range for brief periods in the morning and early afternoon but later returned to “good” with the onset of afternoon winds. These same communities registered a 24 hour average of “good” for the last day of August. Residual smoke from the previous evening’s tactical firing operation will move northeast to east for the majority of the day and into the late evening. Mixing heights will remain shallow until early afternoon pushing smoke along California 120 east. Lee Vining and Benton communities may see some smoke and haze today.

Transportation Safety: Smoke may cause visibility to be limited along California 120 near or east of the fire today through the early afternoon. Please be advised to use caution when driving or recreating along or near this road.

Fire: Containment on the Springs Fire grew to 65%, with 358 acres burned yesterday (4342 total acres through yesterday. Moderate fire behavior is continuing to be observed dependent on weather conditions. Smoke seen today can be attributed to overnight smoldering fuels and current daily ignitions (weather permitting).

Smoke: Yesterday, all monitors (24 hour AQI) values remained in the good (green) range. Benton and Lee Vining AQ monitors bumped briefly into the moderate (yellow) but then returned to the good range for the 24 hour average. Residual smoke from the previous evening’s tactical firing operation will move north-northeast for the majority of the day and into the late evening. In the Owens Valley today, some areas may see “moderate” amounts of smoke for short periods this morning and early afternoon otherwise, light haze can be anticipated. After midnight and into early Sunday morning light smoke is forecast to move east-southeast toward Benton then down the east side of Owens Valley.

Springs Fire managers presented a community meeting to provide information and explain strategies being employed to return fire to its natural role and frequency in this fire adapted forest landscape.

Speakers used photos projected onto the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center theater screen to help participants visualize conditions and understand goals fire managers are working toward. Topics included: fire management objectives, fire history, fire operations, smoke conditions and management, and natural and historic resource protections. After the presentations, fire managers responded to questions from the audience. The following is a synopsis of those questions and their answers:

Is it true you could have put the fire out when it started? Why didn’t you? Yes, we could have put it out. There were eight starts from this lightning storm in late July. Inyo National Forest leadership decided to employ a confine and contain strategy and to manage for multiple objectives on four of the fires. By using this strategy now, when weather, personnel resources, and the wet winter conditions are optimal, we are decreasing the potential for large high intensity fires in this area in the future.

What fuels are burning? This question was answered using images of the fuels (needles and cones on the ground, live lodgepole and Jeffrey pine with low dead branches, shrubs, etc) and low/moderate intensity fire. The speaker described how this forest is adapted to a fire return interval of 7-25 years.

How will you deal with losing resources if we get new fire starts? The Inyo National Forest has augmented staffing beyond the resources assigned to the Springs Fire. The Forest Service uses a planning level system, with 1 being low – 5 being high. For example, if there are multiple fires and the resource need is high then the planning level is high. Currently we are in planning level 2 which means we have access to needed resources.

Do we have plans in effect if weather changes, e.g. wind shifts, rain? Yes, one of the first priority’s for this fire was to secure the east perimeter. Local wind patterns are typically out of west, so securing the east flank ensures we have a strong anchor point to work from. There is also an extensive road system that can be used to slow or stop the fire as needed.

What is type of funding being used? The fire was started by lighting, so the funding is suppression funds.

How are we dealing with air quality and NEPA? A representative from the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District offered to respond to a portion of this question. She described the Smoke Management Plan submitted to the Air Pollution Control District by the Forest, and referred to the daily smoke production and activity monitoring requirement. Another presenter responded to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) question, helping the audience understand that the Forest Service performs analysis of possible effects of the fire to natural, cultural, and social conditions and makes strategic and tactical fire management decisions based on that analysis.

Was there an international group here? Yes, the Springs Fire welcomed international visitors learning about the Incident Command System (ICS). ICS was initially developed by the Forest Service to address problems of inter-agency responses to wildfires. It has evolved into national and worldwide use for all-hazards situations. The Forest Service brought them to visit this fire to learn the components of ICS. The speaker stated this visit is diplomacy through education.

Fire: Containment on the Springs increased to 45% (3331 total acres burned) and moderate fire behavior is being observed. Smoke production today and tomorrow will likely be from residual burn down of areas already ignited Sunday night combined with ignitions planned for this morning, tonight and tomorrow as crews continue to strengthen fire lines. This will likely continue through the week to increase containment objectives as adequate dispersion permits.

Smoke: Yesterday, all monitors (24 hour AQI) values remained in the good (green) range under morning-early afternoon southwesterly winds. Winds shifted midday toward the east pushing the Benton monitor to briefly spike into the moderate (yellow) but then return to the good (green). Overnight, smoke moved into the Owens Valley resulting in increased PM2.5 levels, yet all monitors remained “good”. Today’s stable conditions will result in higher levels of particulate matter from Lee Vining through the Owens Valley as smoke settles and pools. This afternoon, smoke will center near the fire until evening, then move into the Owens Valley as a result of northerly winds.

Fire
Containment on the Springs remained at 43% (3168 total acres burned) and moderate fire behavior is being observed. Much of the smoke production today and for the rest of the weekend will likely be from residual burn down of areas already ignited Saturday night combined with ignitions planned for this morning, tonight and tomorrow as crews continue to strengthen fire lines.This will likely continue through Sunday to increase containment objectives.

Smoke
Yesterday, all monitors (24 hour AQI) values remained in the good (green) range under variable southwesterly winds. Today, predominant winds from the southwest in the morning and early afternoon will result in smoke dispersal to the north and east of the Springs fire. Later in the day, winds will begin to shift to the west and northwest pushing smoke east and southeast. Winds will then again transition in the later evening to an easterly direction resulting in periods of smoke in the communities south of Mono Lake during the overnight hours. Periodic smoke can be anticipated in the communities along the eastern Sierra Foothills south and west of the Springs Fire. Additional area fires are contributing smoke to Owens Valley area.

When will the Springs Fire be put out? This question has been posed to fire managers since late July. Here we are in September and it is still burning. Some people want to know why. The Community Meeting at the end of August in Lee Vining provided context and responses to this question. The short answer is that fire managers are using four optimal conditions to meet multiple objectives with a confine/contain strategy to meet desired conditions.

First, fire managers have many opportunities to contain the fire using roads and manage fire behavior in areas recently treated through prescribed fire and mechanical methods. Second, highly trained crews are available to carry out these objectives since they are not needed elsewhere at this time for fires that threaten higher values at risk (homes, etc.). Third, due to the weather and above average winter precipitation, fuel conditions (pine needles, shrubs) are nearly optimal to carry out precision ignition strategies for this 7500 acre area (see road closure map for approximate extent of containment area https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/6477/). Fourth, expert smoke modelers are on staff and are accurately predicting how smoke produced from ignitions will disperse every day. They also advise if smoke from other fires in the area will combine to result in adverse air quality effects and, when to decrease smoke production due to ineffective smoke dispersal into the upper atmosphere.

So, how long will the Springs fire burn? The answer depends on all of the above conditions as crews and managers work to achieve the 7500 acre containment area. For example: if all four of the above conditions are optimal, it will take less time; if conditions become less optimal, it will take more time, or managers stop actions and objectives will not be fully met.

“I understand that the long term presence of firefighters in the community and sense of anxiousness about heavy smoke production are on people’s minds. I believe that carrying out this action to fully meet the objectives has a high potential for minimizing these and other adverse effects to the community in the future. I am glad to talk with anyone further about this course of action”, said Gordon Martin, Mono Lake and Mammoth District Ranger and Springs Fire Agency Administrator.

Fire: Containment on the Springs fire rose yesterday to 43% and moderate fire behavior is being observed. Much of the smoke production today and for the rest of the weekend will likely be from residual burn down of areas already ignited Friday night combined with ignitions planned for this morning, tonight and tomorrow as fire lines are strengthened. This will likely continue through Sunday to increase containment objectives.

Smoke: Yesterday, all monitors (24 hour AQI) values remained in the good (green) range under variable southwesterly winds. Today, predominant winds from the southwest will result in smoke dispersal to the northeast of the Springs fire. Later in the day, variable winds may result in smoke centered near the fire. Light smoke and haze can be anticipated today, which should improve by afternoon. Expect haze from other area fires to drift into the forecast area through the weekend.

Fire: Containment on the Springs fire rose yesterday to 41% and moderate fire behavior is being observed. Much of the smoke production today and for the rest of the weekend will likely be from residual burn down of areas already ignited overnight combined with ignitions planned for today and tomorrow as fire lines are strengthened. This will likely continue through the weekend to increase containment objectives.

Smoke: Yesterday, all monitors (24 hour AQI) values in the good (green) range under variable westerly winds. Today, shifting winds will result in periods of smoke near the fire. Those areas may include Lee Vining and the Crowley lake area but should clean out by mid-afternoon. Light smoke and haze can be anticipated Saturday again in these same areas, which should clear by afternoon. Light smoke and haze can be anticipated through the forecast area through the weekend. Haze from other wildfires is impacting the forecast area.

Fire
Yesterday, containment on the Springs fire, a lighting-ignited wildfire, increased to 19% while emissions/smoke production continued at a slightly reduced rate. We may see increased smoke production today from more tactical firing if weather permits.

Smoke
Yesterday morning light smoke from the fire briefly drained into the Long Valley/Crowley Lake area and continued to Bishop, where there was a noticeable haze aloft. As the day progressed most of the smoke rose from the fire and was dispersed aloft, leaving all smoke monitoring sites in the good (green) range. Today and tomorrow, we expect a similar pattern that still depends on potential fire activity, with likely improvement due to increased southwest winds and better dispersion forecast to start later this morning. Once this better dispersion is in place, most smoke from the fire should disperse efficiently to the northeast, with little likely effect at the surface. Overall air quality today will likely remain in the good (green) range.