INYO NF--CASA DIABLO PRESCRIBED BURN UNITS MAP

project Coordinates: 37.569291 N, 118.648384 W

Spice Lake Fire Fact Sheet

Date: June 16, 2023             8:00AM

Fire Information: 218-248-7240, on inciweb at Mnsuf Spice Lake Fire Information | InciWeb (nwcg.gov) or the Superior National Forest website: www.fs.usda.gov/superior

Incident Name: Spice Lake Fire                           Size: Estimated at 20-30 acres

Location: Near Spice Lake within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), Superior National Forest, Lake County, Township 65 North, Range 6 West, Section 27

Background: Late in the afternoon on June 13th, a wildfire was detected between Spice Lake and Ogishkemuncie Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) on the Gunflint Ranger District of the Superior National Forest. Spice Lake is located east of Knife and Kekekabic Lakes and southwest of Seagull Lake, approximately 10 miles west of the Gunflint Trail. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Current Status: Fire crews started working on indirect suppression tactics by preparing portage trails and natural boundaries to use as fire lines. Working directly along the fire’s edge is dangerous with fire weakened trees overhead which could fall without warning. Using existing portages and natural features such as shorelines as fire lines is safer and a minimum impact fire suppression technique used in Wilderness which reduces firefighter exposure to hazards such as additional chainsaw operation and construction of open fire lines. When these fire lines are strengthened and with favorable weather conditions the crews will burn the vegetation between the line and the active fire edge creating a more secure edge and safe location to begin the mop up work of seeking out and extinguishing hot spots. The fire activity continued to be creeping and smoldering throughout the day.

Planned Actions: Crews will remain on site near the fire and will continue to work on direct and indirect fire suppression lines. Minnesota Type 3 Team B with Aaron Mielke as Incident Commander took over command of the fire this morning providing support for the Forest. Direct and indirect fire suppression tactics will be assessed and continue to be implemented as fire conditions allow. Public safety staff will continue sweeping the area for any visitors located in the fire closure area. 

Resources: A 19-person off-Forest hotshot crew and 2 Forest firefighters. A helicopter and other aerial resources are available to assist suppression activities as needed. The Forest’s Beaver airplane will patrol the fire area, shuttle personnel and gear, and could drop water as needed.

Area Closures: The Superior National Forest has implemented Forest Order (09-09-23-03) for a closure area of lakes, portages, and trails around the fire for public safety. Public safety crews are redirecting visitors and posting portages closed. Details can be found at Superior National Forest - Alerts & Notices (usda.gov).

Fire Restrictions: The Superior National Forest has implemented a Forest Order (09-09-23-02) for campfire restrictions due to continued dry conditions and worsening wildfire danger. This Order will remain in effect until further notice. See the Superior National Forest website https://www.fs.usda.gov/superior for more information on fire restrictions.

Inyo National Forest issues new road closures-June 15

Inyo National Forest, Pacific Southwest Region

Forest Service News Release

Public Affairs Officer: Lisa Cox
(760) 873-2427 
lisa.cox@usda.gov
www.fs.usda.gov/inyo

BISHOP, Calif., June 15, 2023 — Inyo National Forest renewed a Forest Closure Order today including the closure of nine additional roads due to severe storm damage and prediction of spring snowmelt runoff impacting them further. The forest asks the public to heed these closures for your own safety and for the protection of resources. The Closure Order will be lifted as soon as road conditions allow for safe travel.

The following roads will be closed via Forest Closure Order from June 15 - September 30, 2023:

White Mountain Ranger District

• Forest Road 6S02 (Silver Canyon Road, closed at Forest boundary)
• Forest Road 6S01 (Wyman Canyon Road, closed at Forest boundary)
• Forest Road 7S10 (Coyote Flat/Valley Road from Bishop, closed just past kiosk)
• Forest Road 9S19 (Coyote Flat from Big Pine)
• Forest Roads 32E311, 32E303, 32E307, 32E302, 32E303 (area west of Warren Bench, accessible from Sugarloaf or Glacier Lodge Roads)
• Forest Road 7S01/7S15 (Buttermilk Loop is closed at Horton Lakes Trailhead junction at 7S01A and 7S01, and at Highway 168 and 7S15)
• Forest Road 4S01 (White Mountain Road, closed where road turns to dirt just past Schulman Grove Visitor Center)

Mono Lake Ranger District

• Forest Road 1S23 (Walker Lake Trailhead)
• Forest Road 1N106 (Bohler Canyon Road)
• Forest Road 1N16 (Horse Meadow Road)
• Forest Road 01S131 (At the junction of Bald Mountain Road and the junction of 01S70)
• Forest Road 01S131A (At the junction of Bald Mountain Road)
• Forest Road 01S131B (At the junction of Bald Mountain Road)

Maps for these roads are available on the Inyo National Forest’s Motor Vehicle Use Maps (www.fs.usda.gov/goto/inyo/maps-pubs/mvum), however separate detailed and specific maps for Coyote Flats and Silver/Wyman Canyons are available on the website: “Alerts and Notices.”

Travel over snow-covered roads during melting conditions has resulted in water runoff following ruts created by vehicles, causing more erosion. Damage has also occurred where motorized wheeled vehicles travelled off designated routes to avoid the damaged sections. This puts the user in danger and causes damage to the surrounding areas.

Furthermore, due to earlier winter road damage across the Inyo National Forest, and other forests within Region 5, there are competing resources which are delaying repair efforts.

“We are doing everything we can to make repairs and re-open roads as conditions allow,” said Inyo NF Flood Response Incident Commander Mike Wiese.

“Although Coyote Flats Road has been worked on recently, they remain closed at this time due to heavy equipment still working in the area, and are planning to haul road fill material in soon.”

There is also sensitive meadow and spring habitat areas that need to dry out more before the public can access where Coyote Flats Road crosses these areas to avoid damaging resources.

“We hope to have Coyote Flats Road open within the next three weeks.” Wiese continued. “As for Wyman Canyon and Silver Canyon Roads, Southern California Edison is currently working on temporary fixes.”

Other land management agency roads that lead into Forest Service roads may also be closed. Please “know before you go” by visiting their websites:

• Inyo County: ready.inyocounty.us/pages/2023-storm-response
• Inyo County Road Open/Closed Status
• Mono County Public Works - Roads
• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power: ladwpeasternsierra.com
• BLM - Bishop Field Office: www.blm.gov/office/bishop-field-office
• CalTrans: quickmap.dot.ca.gov
• Nevada Department of Transportation

Forest officials want to remind the public of the following:

• Going around closed roads, boulders, blockades, or driving over carsonite posts or through ruts creates further resource damage and also endangers the traveler and others. Not to mention, this creates a further backlog of repair work for our staff, which could cause the road closures to last longer.
• Region-wide, the road damage repair is so extensive that repairs may not be done in a timely enough manner before reopening. Therefore, if a road appears to be fine to drive but it is officially closed, it is imperative that you stay off it.
• Travelling over snow-covered roadways results in water flowing down ruts created by the vehicles, causing road damage and erosion.
• Violation of entering closed roads is punishable by a fine of $5,000 or less for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months or both.

                                                                                   ###

Northern New Mexico Type 3 Incident Management Team

Luke McLarty, Incident Commander

Fire Information: 505-418-1038

2023.comanche@firenet.gov

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

Actions: Over the next few days, fire crews will establish containment lines around the lightning-caused Comanche Fire and make provisions for possible firing operations later in the week. The fire is in Comanche Canyon near the communities of El Rito and Abiquiu. 

The focus area is approximately 10,000 acres. As the progression of the fire continues, the final size of the fire will be defined by weather, fire behavior, terrain, fuels conditions and additional management actions. 

A goal of the Carson National Forest is to use naturally ignited fires to protect, maintain and enhance resources and move ecosystems toward desired conditions.

Closure: The team is planning to temporarily close a portion of Forest Road 137 and Forest Road 20 beginning this weekend.

Community Open House: Drop in between 4 and 6 p.m. on Sat., Jun. 17, at the El Rito Senior/Community Center at State Rd. 554, House #1115. Presentation at 4:30 p.m.

Smoke: As the fire increases in size and firing operations commence, smoke may be visible from Abiquiu, Canjilon, El Rito and the Espanola Valley and may continue to show for several days. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with heart or respiratory problems are encouraged to take precautionary measures. For information on air quality and protecting your health, please visit https://nmfireinfo.com/smoke-management/.

Fast Facts

Size: 20 acres

Cause: Lightning

Fuels:  Ponderosa pine and mixed conifer
Values at risk: Cultural/historical sites.

Percent Completed: 1%

Resources:  2 hand crews, 2 wildland fire modules, 5 engines, 2 dozers, 1 water tender, 2 REMS teams, total personnel 130

Keep updated on the Comanche Fire at InciWeb and @CarsonNF on Twitter and Facebook.

June 16, 2023 - The San Bernardino National Forest (BDF) San Jacinto District will be continuing the prescribed burn today at Thomas Mountain; west of the community of Garner Valley and southeast of the communities of Idyllwild and Mountain Center. Residents and visitors will see flames and smoke visible throughout the day and evening. Firefighters will be monitoring the area until all piles are extinguished.

There will be more than 100 firefighters from the Forest Service and partner agencies involved in this operation. These ignitions will be carried out through ground-based and helicopter aerial operations. After the active ignitions, there will be several additional days dedicated to mop-up, securement, and patrolling as needed.

If you are traveling on California Highway 74 you may experience brief closures due to aerial operations. These closures are to protect both the firefighters involved in the operations and the public using the highway.

During these operations certain areas will be temporarily closed to the public: Forest Road 6S13, Tool Box Springs Yellow Post Sites, Thomas Mountain Yellow Post Sites and the Ramona Trail. These closures are implemented for the safety of both the public and firefighters involved in the operations.

Prescribed fire plays an important role in forest health and in reducing extreme wildfires and their negative impact. These fires also help reduce heavy fuel loads while simultaneously opening the conifer forest structure and maintaining the health of meadow habitats. Fire is also used to enhance native plant communities and cultural landscapes and improve wildlife habitats. Another goal is to provide defensible space for communities and developed areas within and surrounding the BDF. With all fire comes smoke, and the U.S. Forest Service works to mitigate smoke impacts from prescribed fires on the communities in the area.
 

#PrescribedBurn #PrescribedFire #ForestHealth #ThomasMountainPrescribedBurn

Yesterday, fire crews on the Dorado/Cañada del Agua Prescribed Fire successfully established blackline around the perimeter of the prescribed fire area. Blackline is a line secured with low intensity burning to remove fuels.

Today, ignitions on the remaining interior acreage, about 300 acres, will be completed as long as weather and fire behavior conditions remain favorable. A meteorologist is on site with crews.

Smoke has been visible from Taos and is impacting other surrounding communities as more dense interior surface fuels are consumed. Fire behavior continues to be low to moderate intensity, clearing dead and down trees, shrubs and grasses from the forest floor. Conditions in the prescribed fire area have been optimal for fuel reduction that will improve the health and resilience of the forest.

Crews will continue to monitor weather and other conditions as they move forward to complete the project. Temperatures will be in the low to mid 70s today, with surface winds 12-20 mph and occasional gusts up to 30 mph. There is the possibility of light precipitation over the prescribed fire area.

Updates for the Dorado/Cañada del Agua Prescribed Fire will be posted on InciWeb at https://tinyurl.com/DoradoCanadaRx and the forest’s social media channels (Facebook, Twitter).

6/15/23 - Evening Update - Burn operations have concluded successfully on the Thomas Mountain prescribed burn. Firefighters from the San Bernardino National Forest, with the assistance of crews from the Angeles National Forest, Los Padres National Forest, Cleveland, National Forest, and Idyllwild Fire Protection District had an amazing and successful first day. With everyone's dedication and hard work a total of 150 acres was completed and crews were able to establish a solid anchor point which will allow crews to continue solid work tomorrow. The fuels presented great fire effects with great consumption meeting all burn project intents. 

Smoke may still be visible throughout the evening. Crews will be starting operations again tomorrow at 9am.