Ranger Ray Haupt of the Scott
River Ranger District has been preparing all spring to introduce “Wildland Fire Use”
(WFU) as a fuel reduction tool in the Wilderness on the western part of the Klamath National
Forest. Similar to a “prescribed burn,” the purpose of WFU is to use natural
fire starts as a tool to consume fuels on the forest floor. These will be carefully
managed natural burns. The recent lightning strikes and the “Island Fire” have
provided him with the first opportunity to put planning into practice.
In pre-planning, a group has been compiling all known fuels data on
the Forest and adjacent lands. They have identified cultural, environmental, recreational
and other resources for protection. Fire history has been compiled. A broad Maximum
Manageable Area (MMA) has been established within which WFU may be considered. This
includes about 5,000 acres in the Marble Mountain and Russian Wilderness areas only.
At the spotting of a fire start within the MMA, a team puts together
an initial assessment. They verify the location, the fuel type and obtain a 10 day weather
forecast. A “matrix” is completed to rank the fire danger, complexity, size and
occurrence time in the fire season. It is
determined whether the fire is a threat to life, property or cultural resources. The
assessment also takes into consideration the scarcity of backup resources - whether local
and national resources have been mobilized on other complex fires. (Resources would not be
dedicated to the management of a WFU if needed for protection elsewhere.)
This is the first phase of the process. At the end of two hours, a
“go – no go” decision is made as to whether the fire would be an
appropriate WFU project. Haupt receives assessments on Wilderness fires from Salmon River,
Happy Camp and his own Scott River Ranger District. Those that he deems a “no go”
are handed back to the district to proceed on suppression efforts.
If a fire is determined to be a WFU candidate, it goes into Phase II,
where it is monitored by a crew of two-three people on the ground. By radio, the crew
relays their observations about specific local fuel type, geological features, aspect,
weather readings and other relevant information. They stay with the fire. Back at the
office, background information from historical fire records, the fuel type data base,
potential management resource needs, potential structural protection measures that might
be needed and cost estimates are being compiled for the specific project.
The Island Fire is located in a remote area near a mountain lake. It
currently involves a tree struck by lightning. The area is ringed by ridges and is
bracketed by streams. Many areas are rocky and trees are relatively sparse. There are
several stands of trees that would benefit from a reduction of the fuel build up on the
forest floor.
Three fire scenarios have been examined. In the first, fire would be
managed to move through a 900 acre basin. In the second, the fire could move into a 1,700
acre area. Of course, the MMA is the extreme ultimate boundary. The team plots a series of
Management Action Points (MAP) on the map where they have pre-planned actions to control
the fire. For Instance, if the fire approaches one of the stream areas, a “Hot Shot”
crew will be used to backfire an area on the other side to manage the fire’s progress
to stay within the designated boundaries.
Ray Haupt is briefed frequently and there is a periodic revalidation
process and decision made as to whether to keep going with the project or move into fire
suppression mode.
Ray said that they can use chainsaws, pumps, (but not tractors,) and
can wrap cabins and structures in a special foil blanket in Wilderness firefighting.
At Phase III, the fire is a small one (about 10 acres) that has
burned for a while and may be planned to go for a longer period. At this stage, a national
“fire use team” (FUT) may be brought in. There are more than 15 FUT modules of
5-20 people in 2-5 person squads. These are technological specialists in fire behavior.
They are dropped with their laptops and work the data by satellite links to predict what
the fire will do, how it can be managed and if it needs to be suppressed.
Ray took me up in a helicopter to visit the Island Fire site. My
neighbor, Madeline is one of the monitors on the ground. The fire at this point is a puff
of smoke and the terrain is very rocky and “hemmed
in” by ridges. Even if it doesn’t spread as planned, it is a good demonstration
of how this new management tool can be applied. Now that I know more about WFU, I have
very few concerns.
On a special note: On June 10, the Board of Forestry approved a 120
day window for landowners to thin trees up to
26-inch diameter at breast height, surface and ladder fuels for the purpose of wildfire
hazard reduction. The work can be done under an emergency regulatory exemption, but it
must meet certain requirements and be conducted under the direction of a Registered
Professional Forester. http://www.bof.fire.ca.gov/pdfs/BOFAdoptsEmergencyRegulation04.pdf
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