Inyo Complex and June Fire Updates
Incident: Inyo Complex Wildland Fire
Released: 7/13/2007
Inyo Complex and June Fire Updates
As of Friday afternoon the Inyo National Forest has declared the Inyo Complex Fires 100% contained. The Sage Fire, which burned in Big Pine Canyon, is 100% contained by constructed line. The Seven Oak Fire, which burned west of Independence, is also 100% contained with 80% of the containment being by constructed line and 20% being by natural barriers. The western flank of the Seven Oak Fire burned up to the tree line until it ran out of vegetation in the rocks of the escarpment. The rocks themselves provide an adequate barrier to fire movement to be considered fully capable of providing the same, if not better, containment of the fire. The June Fire was fully contained on Wednesday evening.
The Inyo Complex, with a final acreage of 35,176 acres, still has 95 people assigned to it, and the June Fire with a final acreage of 682 acres has 213 people committed to it. These resources are primarily involved in monitoring and patrolling the fires, as well as completing rehabilitation work for any impacts from fire suppression activities. Fire management officials warn that smoke from the fires may be visibe for some time to come, but that the burn areas are being patrolled and monitored. On the Seven Oak and Sage Fires they also note that dust devils in the burn areas may become more prevalent as there is less vegetation holding the dust in place. Smokes seen high up in the canyons do not need to be reported however if a large smoke is seen on the valley floor, and it has been determined that it is not a dust devil, it should be reported.
A Burned Area Emergency Response team, or BAER team, has been assigned to each of the fires. Their work is designed to minimize threats to life, property, and natural and cultural resources from erosion, flooding and mudslides originating in wildfire-damaged landscapes, and to reduce additional damage to burned areas. Their work is focused on short-term stabilization actions to help burned areas get through several seasons, especially the first critical winter. Right now resource specialists are assessing the post-fire impacts on hillslopes and stream channels. According to BAER Team leader Todd Ellsworth, Oak Creek is one of their highest areas of concern. They are carefully looking at impacts to downstream water quality, degradation and potential for flooding.
Prompted by the extreme fire behavior that was observed this week on all of the fires, as well as the Angora Fire in South Lake Tahoe, the Inyo National Forest has invited a national team of Fire Prevention Specialists to help the Forest with strategic efforts to increase public awareness of the current fire danger. The Team will be arriving on Sunday and will be here for the next two weeks. They will help to develop strategic messages and tools for use in local communities as well as with visitors in both front country areas and wilderness. They will help to implement media coverage and public information regarding fire safety, defensible space, and extreme fire danger awareness and preparedness.
In this year of extreme fire danger it behooves everyone, whether resident or visitor, to be aware and prepared for finding themselves in the vicinity of a wildfire. Watch for upcoming messages helping you to reduce the risk of wildfires, create defensible space around your home, and know what to do in case of a wildfire. Until then continue to be fire safe!
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