SQF’S prescribed burning effort progresses
Part of emergency response to reduce threat of wildfires
The Giant Sequoia Emergency Response Pile Burning has progressed this month in an effort to reduce the threat of wildfires.
Prescribed burning has been ongoing now for more than a week in different areas of the forest. In Belknap Grove in the Western Divide Ranger District last Friday crews successfully burned more than 50 of the more than 200 piles.
Progress was also made on Wednesday in the Wheel Meadow and Mcintyre Groves in the Western Divide District as seven acres was successfully burned.
Even with the snow crews have been able to conduct the pile burns. In the Western Divide Ranger District on Monday crews went toward Cedar Slope from the Mcintyre side while personnel evaluated the conditions of Highway 190 to Cedar Slope.
Crews were eventually able to access Wheel Meadow Grove just east of Cedar Slope. Crews were able to complete five acres of pile burns between Belknap, Mcintyre and Wheel Meadow Groves.
Access was gained to Black Mountain where 90 percent of the piles were covered by snow. “We were able to light some , bit it took lots of work and fuel,” the forest service stated.
The forest service is working to conduct as many pile burns as possible until the next major weather system comes. The preliminary forecast calls for another major weather system to come by the end of next week.
A major pile burning project is planned for Indian Basin Grove within the Hume Lake Ranger District from Saturday through Tuesday. SQF will begin burning hand piles on Saturday. If conditions remain favorable, the forest service said, it’s planned for 2,700 piles to be burned from Saturday through Tuesday. Ignitions will be dispersed to avoid heating, damaging roots or burning other nearby live Sequoias or other trees.
The Giant Sequoia Emergency Response is an ongoing effort Forest Service Chief Randy Moore approved on July 22, 2022, to speed up the effort to reduce fuels in 13,377 acres in 12 Giant Sequoia groves.
As of Thursday fuels have been reduced in
more than 1,500 acres in 11 SQF groves. More than 4,400 Giant Sequoias have been treated and more than 7,000 piles are ready for prescribed burns.
To date, crews have reduced fuels on more than 1,500 acres of 11 groves within the Sequoia National Forest. Over 4,400 giant sequoias have been treated, and more than 7,000 piles are ready for prescribed burning.
Wildfires have killed almost 20% of the largest giant sequoia trees in the world in the last three years.
The three general types of prescribed burning are pile burning, understory/underburning, and broadcast burning. They all help decrease the threat of high-intensity, high-severity wildfires, reduce the risk of insect and disease outbreaks, increase soil productivity and improve wildlife habitat.