Sonora, CA – Stanislaus National Forest fire officials update on a new strategy to fight a lightning strike fire, with a slow spread burning in the forest.
They have developed a confined and contained suppression strategy for the quarter-acre Bummer Fire with extreme snags, or dead trees, in varying degrees of decay, to ensure the flames do not threaten and to minimize the impact on multiple heritage and cultural sites as well as endangered species habitat.
The blaze is off Forest Road 6N05 in the Bummers Flat area on the north side of the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River drainage and sits between Beardsley and Donnell Reservoir.
Incident Commander Trainee Steve Schultz said firefighters will utilize minimum impact strategies tactics, or MIST. They include using natural firebreaks, selecting travel routes to avoid sensitive areas, and using equipment like an excavator instead of a dozer when appropriate to minimize long-term environmental, cultural, and social impacts. This Type-3 incident (refers to the complexity and scale of the incident being managed) has 19 fire personnel currently assigned to it.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision, Forest Fuels Officer Dan Guse stated, “This strategy will reduce exposure of responders to snag hazards and minimize ground disturbance that would damage the other values at risk.”
To create a containment line around the fire area, crews will utilize nearby road systems. Guse added, “Once roads have been properly prepared, tactical firing will commence to halt fire spread. Evaluation of the current conditions and seasonality indicate the potential for large fire growth or extreme fire behavior is minimal.”
