The "Art and Science" of Prescribed Burning
Release Date: Dec 4, 2014
Contact(s): Denise Alonzo
U.S. Forest Service
Sequoia National Forest and
Giant Sequoia National Monument
Western Divide Ranger District
32588 HWY 190
Springville CA 93265
Voice: 559-539-2607
Web: www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia/
News Release
Media Contact: Denise Alonzo
559-539-2607 ext. 72212
dalonzo@fs.fed.us
The “Art and Science” of Prescribed Burning
Springville, Calif., December 4, 2014—For Immediate Release Sequoia National Forest fire personnel are challenged annually. Not only in their efforts to put out wildfires, just as important is their efforts to safely prescribed burn when weather and fuel conditions are favorable. Prior to lighting the match, they must evaluate the best available meteorological information combined with fuel conditions to ensure their objectives will be met, meaning the fire will not consume too much, or too little. Those conditions do not occur very often, especially overlapping with those limited number of days when air quality conditions support the additional smoke emitted from a prescribed fire.
This week, conditions allowed fire officials to successfully prescribed burn in many areas across the Forest and in the Giant Sequoia National Monument. As weather and smoke conditions are favorable, prescribed burning will continue through the winter and into spring.
On the Western Divide Ranger District, in the area around White River near California Hot Springs, over 125 acres of hand piles of debris were safely burned to reduce the threat of wildfire. Additional areas still targeted for burning are near the communities of Ponderosa and Sugar Loaf Village at elevations of 7,200 and 5,200 feet respectively. There are approximately 800 acres of hand piles of small limbs, brush, and trees that were created from hazardous fuels reduction projects. The fuel loading posed a fire hazard to communities and forest visitors.
When the burning is completed, the piles may not be entirely consumed by the prescribed fire. Typically, there are remnants of the pile left to protect the soil from erosion and promote the growth of new vegetation. Some piles will be intentionally left unburned to benefit wildlife.
Smoke from the prescribed burning operations will be visible in Ponderosa, Sugar Loaf Village and adjacent communities. Forest personnel will be working closely with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to manage smoke production and reduce any local impacts.