Prescribed Fire Operations

For the 2026-2027 fall/winter prescribed burn season, the Lassen National Forest intends to conduct understory burns and pile burns. This page will be updated with burn dates as burns occur.

Understory burning: Crews apply fire broadly throughout an area under the forest canopy. Grasses, leaf litter, fallen and dried pine needles, downed branches, brush and occasional single or clusters of trees may be burned.

Pile burning: Thinning crews assemble branches and other woody debris into piles to treat with fire.

Planned Understory Burns

Burn/Unit Name	Ranger District	Nearby Locations	Acres
Bailey	Eagle Lake	Campbell Mountain	1,760
Drake	Eagle Lake	Cal Mountain	971
Eastside	Hat Creek	Blacks Ridge and Halls Flat	1,030
North 49	Hat Creek	Eskimo Hill	530

Additionally, the following pile burns are planned for the season. Pile burns typically happen when there is more moisture on the ground.

Almanor Ranger District

Various pile burns totaling approximately 2,500 acres across the district

Eagle Lake Ranger District

Various pile burns totaling approximately 520 acres across the district

Hat Creek Ranger District

Various pile burns totaling approximately 1,300 acres across the district

Burn dates and actual number of units treated will depend on weather and fuel conditions. Wind and relative humidity are key factors in fire behavior, safety, and smoke control. Prescribed burning will only occur when environmental conditions permit.

Burn Dates

With favorable conditions to conduct prescribed fire operations, firefighters will continue burning this week.

Monday: Hand piles near Silver Lake starting Monday and throughout the week as conditions allow. After burning is complete, firefighters will continue monitoring, patrolling, and mopping up until done.

📍These Silver Lake Rocky Knoll hand piles are located near Silver Bowl and Rocky Knoll campgrounds, on the east side of Silver Lake in Almanor Ranger District.

image of sectioned off area north and east of Silver Lake that is identified as a prescribed fire area. — Silver Lake - Rocky Knoll Campground pile burn unit map.
*(US Forest Service)*

Tuesday: Work continues near Silver Lake.

Wednesday: Firefighters will start burning the Domingo Springs piles in Almanor Ranger District and begin ignitions on the Eastside Pine Underburn in Hat Creek Ranger District.

📍The Domingo Springs pile burn is located near the campground and off Old Bluff Rd.

Map identifying areas for pile burning on the Almanor Ranger District during the fall 2026 through early 2027 season. — Almanor pile burn vicinity map.
*(US Forest Service)*

📍The Eastside Pine Underburn is located northeast of Old Station in the Halls Flat area.

Map with general burn areas highlighted for the Eastside Underburn. One area in HAlls Flat vicinity and 4 additional areas identified — Eastside Underburn vicinity map
*(US Forest Service)*

Thursday: Firefighters will continue burning on the Eastside Pine Underburn in the Halls Flat area. Almanor crews are moving to the piles west of Echo Lake for ignitions.

map indicating a prescribed fire pile burn area on the west shore of Lake Echo, Lassen National Forest. — Echo Lake area pile burn unit map.
*(US Forest Service)*

Friday: Firefighters begin ignitions on the 10 acres of piles around the Almanor North and South campgrounds.

Map identifying prescribed fire pile locations on the southwest side of Lake Almanor around and in the Almanor North & South campgrounds. — Almanor North South campground vicinity map.
*(US Forest Service)*

Forecast:

Monday: Partly cloudy, with high in the valleys up to 67 and mid slope up to 64. The 24 hr. trend is showing little change. Min Humidity in the valleys between 29-39% and mid slope between 28-38%. The 24 hr. trend is 4% wetter.
Tuesday: Dry and cool temperatures along with west to southwest winds gusting to 20 mph prevail in the afternoon.
Wednesday: Sunny, with highs in the 50's and winds around 5 mph.
Thursday: Light winds and cool, dry temperatures continue with highs in the 50's and dipping just below freezing Thursday night.
A late week weather system may bring chances for showers beginning as early as Friday night, with precipitation chances increasing to 50-70% for Saturday.

Residents and recreational users may see smoke in the areas where operations are occurring. Visitors should remain alert if traveling through areas with prescribed burns as there may be workers and heavy equipment present.