Schaeffer Fire grows to 1,467 acres

KERNVILLE — The Schaeffer Fire burning in Kern River Ranger District of the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument has burned 1,467 acres since being ignited by lightning on June 24 and was expected to grow by another 700 to 1,000 acres over the weekend.

The fire is burning in a northeasterly direction within the 2002 Mcnally wildfire footprint. Burning in whitethorn, dead and down logs and needle cast. Smoke is visible from the communities around Lake Isabella as well as drifting across the Sierra Crest and visible along Highway 395, between Olancha and Lone Pine. Smoke can also be seen from many vantage points north of Johnsondale and along the Lloyd Meadow and Western Divide roads.

Suppression planning decisions have been taken on the Schaeffer Fire are in alignment with the confine and contain strategy. Confine and contain, on a fire, is the restricting of the fire to a defined area primarily using roads, trails, and natural barriers, expected to restrict the spread of the wildfire under prevailing and forecasted weather conditions. In other words, the goal of the strategy employed is appropriate management responses, where a fire perimeter is managed by a combination of direct and indirect actions and use of natural topographic features, as well as man-made features such as roads and trails.

“Naturally caused wildfires can enhance many resource values when we allow fire to play its role on landscape,” KRRD officials stated. “Confine and contain fires are managed for reducing accumulated forest litter and fuels, maintaining fire in a fire-adapted ecosystem increasing firefighter and public safety, and protecting cultural resources and wildlife habitat.”

Helicopters started inserting multiple crews on June 29. Firefighters are working on securing line, and scouting, to identify potential fire lines in a manner consistent with, and maintaining, the natural barriers of the landscape, and improving existing trails. Crews are constructing direct hand lines, to the east using natural barriers.

Abby Bolt, Incident Commander trainee stated, “I am proud of the work all of the firefighters and support personnel are putting in. The helitack modules are doing an amazing job while displaying safety and efficiency when transporting all of the crews out to the fire line.”

Fire managers are working closely with the California Air Resource Board and the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District and 80 firefighters, and fire management personnel are assigned to the fire.