Transcript Piute Fire - Wilderness.net

This document is contained within the Fire Management
Toolbox on Wilderness.net. Since other related resources
found in this toolbox may be of interest, you can visit this
toolbox by visiting the following URL:
http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=toolboxes&sec=fir
e. All toolboxes are products of the Arthur Carhart National
Wilderness Training Center.
Piute Fire Example
Mojave National Preserve
Ordered by IC via Dispatch
• September 4, 2004 at 2200
(Friday, Labor Day Weekend)
• Call from Dispatch
– Local Type 4 IC ordering you as READ for an
initial attack fire in Piute Creek
– Report to Fort Piute 0600 September 5
What do you do at dispatch?
What do you do at dispatch?
• Accept assignment per local unit policy
• Get as many details as you can!
– When was fire reported?
• About 1600 today
– Cause?
• Unknown
– Who reported it?
• local firefighter noticed the column when he was driving home
– What resources are assigned?
• 2 local Type III engines on it now
– Which engines and who’s IC?
• On order for tomorrow: FMO as IC3, 1 more engine + 1 helitack crew
– Who?
– Lat/long given to helitack?
– What’s the cell coverage there? Radio coverage?
– What freqs?
How do you prepare
before you go?
How do you prepare
before you go?
• Get your gear together – be self contained
• Use GIS to scope the situation
– lat/long
– contours, roads, streams, vegetation
– wilderness, endangered species habitat,
cultural sites, range
• Print maps (1:24k + one smaller view)
– One with READ details for me
– One basic for everyone else
Report to Incident
Arrive on scene
Arrive on Scene, Now what?
Arrive on Scene, Now what?
• Tie in with ICs
• Get briefing on suppression effort and fire
behavior
• Alert incoming IC of resource concerns
• Offer maps
• Work with IC on suppression strategy
• Provide READ briefing to incoming crews
• Survey burned area for resource damage
• Map fire perimeter
Primary resource concerns
•
Potential habitat for two federally listed endangered birds:
– southwestern willow flycatcher
– least Bell’s vireo
•
Designated critical habitat for federally listed threatened desert tortoise
•
Documented cultural sites:
– Fort Piute Historic District
– Piute historic ranch: managed by California Game and Fish
– several prehistoric habitation and petroglyph sites
•
Undocumented cultural sites on river terraces, new petroglyphs exposed
•
Designated Wilderness
•
Locally rare riparian habitat
Primary resource concerns
•
Potential habitat for two federally listed endangered birds:
– southwestern willow flycatcher
– least Bell’s vireo
•
Designated critical habitat for federally listed threatened desert tortoise
•
Documented cultural sites:
– Fort Piute Historic District
– Piute historic ranch: managed by California Game and Fish
– several prehistoric habitation and petroglyph sites
•
Undocumented cultural sites on river terraces, new petroglyphs exposed
•
Designated Wilderness
•
Locally rare riparian habitat
Actions taken to avoid or minimize
impacts to resources?
Actions taken to avoid or minimize
impacts to resources
Resource issue
Endangered birds
Desert tortoise
Documented cultural sites
Undocumented cultural sites
Wilderness
Riparian plants/animals
Action taken
Did not remove snags unless needed for the safety of personnel
working directly beneath.
This was only an issue in the ICP/staging area, not the burn area.
At crew briefings advised personnel to check under vehicles
before moving them.
Avoided Fort Piute when establishing helispot and ICP/staging
area. Assured that no suppression efforts took place in cultural
sites as indicated on the map.
Avoided dirt removal along terraces during mop up.
Established helispot and ICP/staging area outside of the
Wilderness boundary. Used helicopter with bucket drops and
handcrews in Wilderness. Chainsaws were determined to be the
minimum tool to construct a 19 meter handline to prevent the
head of the fire from jumping into the next drainage and running
toward Lanfair Valley.
Minimized in-channel suppression efforts. Used pond water for
the bucket drops rather than treated water. Minimized snag
removal to help protect natural floodplain processes.
How do you document
and who do you notify?
How do you document
and who do you notify?
•
•
•
•
•
•
After discussion with Danette Woo, Compliance Specialist at Mojave National
Preserve, consult with Dr. Creed Clayton, Endangered Species Biologist at the US
Fish and Wildlife Service – Ventura Ecological Services Office, regarding potential
impacts to listed species and restoration needs, if any. Pursue Burned Area
Emergency Response funding or other funding sources to implement any restoration
recommendations.
Discuss with Dr. Matt Brooks, Fire Ecologist at US Geological Survey – Las Vegas
Field Office, his interest in pursuing any fire effects or fire ecology research related to
fire response of this desert riparian community.
Discuss with Dr. Bob Bryson, Archaeologist at Mojave National Preserve, his interest
in conducting post-fire site assessment to determine if any cultural sites were
damaged by the fire or suppression effort and to survey for new sites.
Notify Annie Kearns, Hydrologist at Mojave National Preserve, in the event she wants
to document post-fire floodplain response and to get Piute Creek prioritized for
annual tamarisk treatment for the next several years.
Notify Kim Allison, Range Specialist at Bureau of Land Management Needles Field
Office, that range improvements (water pipeline) were destroyed in the fire. It is
unclear if the pipeline was still being used to convey water to the adjacent BLM
grazing allotment.
Gordon Pine, Lands Officer at Mojave National Preserve, regarding status of
California Game and Fish parcel and contact information.
PUT EVERYTHING IN THE RESOURCE ADVISOR REPORT!
Post-fire Concerns?
Post-fire Concerns?
•
•
•
•
Unclear if listed riparian birds use the area
Tamarisk increase in riparian corridor
Burned pipeline no longer used
Potential suppression or fire impacts to known
and unknown cultural sites
– Exposure of petroglyphs
• Potential for post-fire looting of exposed sites
• Concern for public safety in channel due to flash
flood, burned stump holes, etc.
How do you address those
concerns?
How do you address those
concerns?
• Do fire suppression rehab
– Map all suppression efforts
– Rehab fire line
– Rake tracks
• Consult Agency Administrator and Regional
BAER Coordinator then Initiate Emergency
Stabilization Process
–
–
–
–
Use ad hoc team to do assessments
Develop treatments
Do SHPO and FWS consultations
Submit ES Plan on September 12
BAER Plan
Part G
Part H
Park I
Fire location and background information ………………………………………………………..
Nature of plan ……………………………………………………………………………………….
Rehabilitation assessment …………………………………………………………………………
Summary of Approval Authorities …………………………………………………………………
Summary of Activities ………………………………………………………………………………
Specifications ………………………………………………………………………………………..
#1 Restrict public access
#2 Law enforcement
#3 Install sensors
#4 Salt cedar control
#5 Evaluate TES habitat recovery
#6 Endangered species survey
#7 Pipeline removal
#8 Implementation leader
Post-Rehabilitation Recommendations …………………………………………………………..
Consultations ………………………………………………………………………………………..
Review and Approval ……………………………………………………………………………….
4
4
4
5
5
6
6
10
13
16
19
22
25
28
31
31
31
AI
A II
A III
A IV
AV
Appendix I: Resource Assessments ……………………………………………………………...
Appendix II: Environmental Compliance …………………………………………………………
Appendix III: Maps ………………………………………………………………………………….
Photo Documentation ………………………………………………………………………………
Supporting Documents …………………………………………………………………………….
32
70
81
86
92
Part A
Part B
Part C
Part D
Part E
Part F
BAER Plan Approved
This plan has been approved by Pacific West Region with modification.
The modification is the deletion of Specification #5 ((Evaluate TES
Habitat recovery) and Specification #6 (Endangered Species
Survey) because they were determined to be outside of the
Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation funding criteria.
Subsequently, the cost of Specification #8 (Implementation Leader)
was reduced by half. The total amount approved and funded is
$58,933.
• Specification #1: Restrict Public Access
• Specification #2: Law Enforcement
• Specification #3: Install Sensors
• Specification #4: Salt cedar control
• Specification #7: Pipeline removal
• Specification #8: Implementation Leader
Implement BAER Plan
• Amended in September 2005 to remove
the public use closure
• Submitted Final Accomplishment Report
October 1, 2005
Herbaceous Veg Recovery
September 10, 2004
4 days post-fire
July 2005
Woody Veg Recovery
July 2005
April 2005
April 2005