Inyo National Forest completes 1,713 acres of prescribed burning

Inyo National Forest completes 1,713 acres of prescribed burning

Inyo National Forest firefighters along with supporting resources have finished their prescribed fire projects for this most recent burn window for a total of 1,713 acres as of Sunday, June 25.

Fire personnel overseeing the “Casa Diablo/Crowley Prescribed Fire” next to the community of Sunny Slopes, and the “Antelope Prescribed Fire” northeast of Mammoth Lakes are very satisfied with the resulting fire effects. These areas will now provide a defensive buffer adjacent to nearby communities and infrastructure that will allow firefighters to work in the event of a wildfire. The prescribed fires will also improve forest health and resilience to stressors and disturbance such as wildfire, insects, disease and drought.

“We are happy to see fire return to more natural interval on the landscape,” said Chance Traub, Fire Management Specialist for Fuels and Prescribed Fire on Inyo National Forest. “Both of these projects have evolved from previous prescribed burns. They can now be areas we build off of, providing an anchor point for future prescribed fire projects.”

Ignition days were chosen in consideration for the direction and dispersion of smoke, helping reduce smoke impact to communities, roadways and popular recreation areas over the course of the burns.

Inyo National Forest Chief of Fire and Aviation Management Larry Pingel and Forest Supervisor Lesley Yen would like to thank the assisting resources who made these prescribed burns possible:

Humboldt-Toiyabe, Angeles, Manti-La Sal, San Bernardino and Cleveland National Forests, Bureau of Land Management’s Central California District and Kern Valley Hotshots, Savannah River Fire Unit out of Georgia, RJT Contracting hand crew, and Mammoth Lakes Fire Department as one of our contingency resource. Additionally the support from the Pacific Southwest Region’s UAS program increased efficiency and safety for firefighters on the burns.

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MAIN IMAGE: Palomar Hotshot Crew member conducting test burn during the Antelope RX — with U.S. Forest Service – Cleveland National Forest.