2021 Fire/Smoke Impact Reports

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H-T NF:

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Yosemite NP:

The 8-acre King and 0.1-acre Pothole fires pose threats to public safety and park resources and are therefore being suppressed. Two segments of trails from Illilouette Creek to Nevada Falls are currently closed due to King Fire. The Fork and Quartzite fires have been placed in monitor status due to their remote location and low potential for fire spread. This minimizes suppression impacts in the wilderness while providing for the healthy ecological effects of natural fire. Firefighters will routinely monitor fire behavior and take suppression actions as warranted.

The fires will be visible from numerous vantage points throughout the park, including Tioga Road, Glacier Point, and other high-country viewpoints.

Park Managers are working with the local Air Quality Districts and will be monitoring smoke impacts to the park and local communities.

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Plumas NF:

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Inciweb:

Henry Fire Information: 209-645-1968, Email: 2021HenryFire@gmail.com

Summary: On June 24, 2021, a lightning storm ignited a fire in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness northeast of Spicer Reservoir and southwest of Highland Lakes at the 7500 ft. elevation. Fire managers are utilizing a confine/contain strategy using ridges, creeks, trails, and natural barriers to manage the fire. The terrain is steep with brush, patches of conifer trees and granite outcroppings. A Type 3 Incident Management Team is assigned.

Fire Statistics
Location: Stanislaus National Forest, Calaveras Ranger District, Carson-Iceberg Wilderness (northeast of Spicer Reservoir and southwest of Highland Lakes), Alpine County
Acres: 300, Containment: 13%
Date Detected: June 24, 2021
Cause: Lightning
Injuries/Accidents: 0
Total Personnel: 60
Structures Threatened/Destroyed: 1/0
Personnel Assigned: Hand crews – 4, Type 2 Helicopter – 1, and a Type 3 Incident Management Team.

Current Situation: As weather and fuel conditions are favorable, crews will be conducting nighttime burning operations to strengthen containment lines. Burning operations remove vegetation between the edge of the fire and containment lines. Smoke may be more visible during the day and settle during the night/early morning hours in the canyons. Firefighters are patrolling and monitoring fire activity. Currently, the fire activity is minimal. Fire Updates will occur every few days and/or as conditions change.

Incident Objectives:

Provide for public and firefighter safety as the highest priority.
Keep the fire north of Hiram Meadow, south of Carson-Iceberg Wilderness boundary, east of trail 19E43 and west of trail 19E41.
Employ suppression tactics in line with values at risk. Utilize Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics (MIST) within the Wilderness.
Introduce fire back into the ecosystem and provide for educational opportunities about ecological benefits of wildland fire.

Fires play an important role in the ecosystem. Except for a small fire (12-acres) last year near Henry Peak, the area has not seen fire in over 20 years.

Public Safety: There are Area and trail closures (19E41, 19E43, 20E04 and 20E01) in effect. Most of California remains under the threat of unprecedented and dangerous fire conditions. Please check the Stanislaus National Forest webpage for Forest-wide fire restrictions: www.fs.usda.gov/stanislaus

[frozenintime]

unfortunately, the river fire (west of oakurst) got going this weekend and seems to be the first fire this summer to send appreciable smoke into the sierra. i gather that it's burning over terrain that hasn't burned since 1961. (to orient on the map, the 94 in the park in the bottom half of the image is lodgepole.)

Screen Shot 2021-07-13 at 9.03.34 AM.png

[maverick]

InciWeb:

BISHOP, Calif. July 12, 2021 — The lightning-caused Dexter Fire was reported at 9:35 a.m. today, July 12. It is located near Bald Mountain spring, located north of Owens River Road and east of Highway 395, northeast of Mammoth Lakes. All resources, including aircraft, were pulled back from the fire during the afternoon hours due to a large thunderstorm producing strong, erratic winds across the fire area.

At this time the Dexter Fire is estimated to be 250 acres. 50 personnel are assigned with more resources on order. Updates will be posted to InciWeb at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7656/ and on the Forest Facebook https://www.facebook.com/inyonf and Twitter pages: https://twitter.com/Inyo_NF.

Fire Restrictions remain in effect for the Inyo National Forest and Bishop Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Campfires are allowed only in developed campgrounds and recreation sites. A portable stove or lantern using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel may be used with a valid wilderness or California Campfire Permit in dispersed areas. Smoking is only allowed within an enclosed vehicle, building, a developed recreation site, or in an area at least three feet in diameter cleared of flammable material.

[SSSdave]

As we depart for a Mono Creek trip from Rock Creek, air quality is increasingly poor though over the next week a constant upper air flow forecast is from the south-southwest and southwest that won't push the bad smoke near us. However late afternoon sunlight will dim as the sun altitude dips lower across the San Joaquin Valley air due to the very smoky River Fire (man made) west of Oakhurst in dry blue oak savanna that is now slowly filling the eastern San Joaquin Valley areas with stagnant smoke. During the day, valley heating will push smoke up all the major river canyons. A whole lot of ranch homes in that area full of backroads so one can be certain a lot of resource will be used to put that out.

Then to the east the new Dexter Fire where light winds are erratically circulating each day is going to increasingly put smoke in the Owens Valley that will make early morning light dimmer and in afternoons hazy at best. Since I'll be working down below ridge lines, I won't be shooting during early or late light so may not be too impacted.

By next Monday 7/19 a monsoonal flow arrives that shows afternoon crest storms from Mono County south that peaks after we are gone by Thursday. Could help clear some air or with lightning fires make it worse. A big monsoon event might green things up. Today I was going to reserve a permit for another trip over McGee Pass a few days after returning however given the monsoon and fires will wait and see.

smoke71321.jpg

[maverick]

Madeira Co Sheriff's Dept:

MCSO continues to work around the clock to proactively patrol evacuated areas to safeguard the property of those evacuated as well as closely monitor this evolving situation.
The River Fire, burning in Mariposa and Madera Counties in the area of Road 800 and Road 812, is currently projected to be around 9,500 acres and 15% contained.

[maverick]

I just received this info.

SEKI NP:

Recent lightning strikes in the Sierra Nevada resulted in two new wildfires in the wilderness of Kings Canyon National Park. The Lost Fire, spotted on July 10, is currently mapped at 92 acres, and the Sugar Fire, spotted on July 11, is currently mapped at one-quarter acre. Neither fire currently poses any risks to life or property, and there are no closures due to the fires at this time.

In order to mitigate smoke potential impacts throughout the remainder of the summer, and to minimize resource damage due to critically low fuel moistures, both fires are being suppressed. Firefighters have been inserted via helicopter to suppress the Sugar Fire. For the larger Lost Fire, located in remote, rugged terrain, south of the Middle Fork of the Kings River in the Slide Bluff area, fire personnel are utilizing a confine and contain strategy.

Helicopter 530 from Los Padres National Forest will be assisting with the management of the Lost Fire. Fire managers are strategizing about how to insert firefighters to engage in more direct suppression tactics.

In Sequoia National Park, pockets of active fire continue to emerge within the footprint of the 2020 Castle Fire. Continued hot and dry weather will likely lead to the discovery of more trees in this area that have continued to smolder since last year.

“The fact that we’re still seeing fire activity in the Castle Fire footprint, as well as new starts, really underscores the importance of preventing human-caused fires in the parks during this extremely dry and hot summer,” says Fire Management Officer John Ziegler. “We’re in stage three fire restrictions, which means no charcoal or wood fires or barbeques are allowed anywhere in the parks. We hope the need for those restrictions is clear under these circumstances.”

Further updates on these fires will be issued as more information becomes available. For more information on fire in the parks, visit go.nps.gov/sekifire.

[maverick]

Inyo NF:

Dexter Fire Update July 14
Incident Start Date: July 12, 2021
Cause: Lightning
Acreage: 1,679
Containment: 10%
Hand Crews: 5
Engines: 27
Helicopters: 4
Air Tankers: 6
Dozers: 1
Water Tenders: 3
Total Personnel: 230

Firefighters made good progress on the Dexter Fire yesterday, establishing a fireline on the western flank of the fire. Gusty winds from a thunderstorm cell pushed the fire north and east toward the Pilot Springs Road. Extreme fire behavior including group torching and crown runs occurred and spot fires appeared ¼ mile outside of the fireline. Aircraft continued to work throughout the day to assist firefighters in dropping water and retardant to slow the fire spread.

Today’s priority is to extinguish spot fires outside the fireline, hold and improve the north side of the fire to the Pilot Springs Rd. Crews established a dozer line on the southern edge and will work to secure and begin mopping up as they work toward the east.

A continuing threat of thunderstorms in the afternoon today can bring increased afternoon winds. The fire is burning near the Springs Fire of 2019 on the northwest side and the Clark and Owens River Fires on the south. The fire is near Crooked Meadows to the east. Smoke will impact the Mammoth Lakes area from the Dexter Fire (east) and the River Fire (Mariposa—west).

Mandatory evacuations for campers and residents have been implemented in the area. The Big Springs and Bald Mountain Springs Campgrounds have been evacuated and are currently closed. Roads in the immediate vicinity are also closed to the public: North of the Owens River Rd. (2S07), east of Highway 395, west of Forest Rd. 1S17, and south of Highway 120. The fire is burning into the former Clark and Springs Fires which will slow down fire activity to the west. Previous treatments in this area will reduce the spread fire growth on the west side because of diminished fuels.

Fire Restrictions remain in effect for the Inyo National Forest and Bishop Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Campfires are allowed only in developed campgrounds and recreation sites. A portable stove or lantern using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel may be used with a valid wilderness or California Campfire Permit in dispersed areas. Smoking is only allowed within an enclosed vehicle, building, a developed recreation site, or in an area at least three feet in diameter cleared of flammable material.
InciWeb page for the Dexter Fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7656/