The East Fire: Being Managed for Forest Health, Says MNF

East Fire

The East Fire on June 18. [Image provided by the Mendocino National Forest Service.]

Press release from the Mendocino National Forest Service:

The East Fire started by lightning June 17 approximately 23 miles northeast of Covelo in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness on the Mendocino National Forest. The East Fire is estimated at 190 acres and zero percent contained. There is a second lightning-caused fire to the southeast of the East Fire that is called the Haynes Fire. It is 23 acres and 80 percent contained.

The East Fire is being managed under a confinement strategy by a Type 3 organization. Incident Commander Terry Warlick says, “The Mendocino National Forest has guidance to permit lightning fires to play, as nearly as possible their natural and ecological role within the wilderness to reduce unnatural accumulation of fuels as well as decrease exposure and risk to fire personnel. With firefighter and public safety at the forefront, we are managing this incident toward an outcome which will help improve forest health, protect wilderness characteristics and reduce the potential for a high severity wildfire in this area in the future.”

Evening view of East Fire

Evening view of East Fire. [Photo from the Mendocino National Forest]

Approximately 100 resources are managing the East Fire including smokejumpers, hotshots and wildland fire modules, EMTs, resource advisor, two helicopters and support personnel. Today, fire personnel will continue reinforcing the confinement area boundary along the East Ridge to keep the fire between East Ridge, Buck Ridge and Wrights Ridge. Crews will also work toward full containment on the Haynes Fire.

Logistical support is a significant focus given the fires’ location deep in the wilderness. In order to support fire crews on the East and Haynes fires, aircraft are operating out of Orland and Alder Springs to transport personnel, and deliver supplies and equipment.

Today’s fire weather shows dry and breezy conditions with north, northeast winds in the morning shifting to the northwest in the afternoon. Temperatures will be in the 70s.
More information can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6394/.

Perimeter Map of the East Fire.

Perimeter Map of the East Fire.

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Obliviously
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Obliviously
4 years ago

What could possibly go wrong? I hope this works out.

bearj
Guest
bearj
4 years ago

yeah what a bold, if not risky, strategy… I hope it works but letting them go any later in the season is asking for a crap storm.

Jeffersonian
Guest
Jeffersonian
4 years ago
Reply to  bearj

Especially with the winds we are having. Hope it doesnt blow up and destroy the middle fork habitat.

The Real Brian
Guest
The Real Brian
4 years ago

The resources are available in the State if things go wrong.

But most likely, nothing will go wrong.

This is an excellent strategy and the timing couldnt be better. Moderately cooler temperatures for the next week should keep the fire moving slowly.

Good luck out there crews, enjoy the views.

This guy
Guest
This guy
4 years ago

Except this is the natural course for our area. Let it burn. Especially if no people are threatened then why try to stop nature. And with the expertise in the field i think this will work out for the benefit of all.

Skee
Guest
Skee
4 years ago

What a lot of people don’t realize is that fires burning this far out in the wilderness will often not pose a risk to any communities or infrastructure for a long time, if at all, before the rains come and put it out in fall/winter. The agencies will monitor it the entire time it is burning and continue to re-evaluate if they need to throw more resources at it, but in the meantime why commit a ton of firefighters to put out a fire burning in the middle of the wilderness when we all know more fires will break out close to communities where we will need all the resources we can get to save lives and property.

Not to mention the benefits that low intensity fire has on Northern California’s Fire-adapted forests (hazardous fuel reduction, reintroducing nutirents to the soil, serotinous cones, etc.)

nines
Guest
4 years ago

Same thing they did with the Chetco Bar fire a few years ago. Nearly took out Brookings and Gold Beach. And a bunch of other ones. But at least they’re admitting it up front now.

Skee
Guest
Skee
4 years ago
Reply to  nines

The Chetco Bar Fire also started nearly a month later (July 12) much later in to fire season. Even if they only decide to manage this fire for resource benefit for another week or two, then transition to a full suppression strategy and put it out, at least the acres burned will have that much less fuel loading built up for next fire season, or even later this summer when fire danger is much higher in August and September.

Skee
Guest
Skee
4 years ago
Reply to  nines

Don’t get me wrong, people have every right to be nervous, especially after last year. But everyone agrees “something must be done to mitigate wildfire risks to communities!” and here it is happening: fuels are being reduced in the most natural way on hundreds of wilderness acres, 43 miles west of the urban area of Red Bluff.

Obliviously
Guest
Obliviously
4 years ago

Weather Concerns

Red Flag Warning strong, gusty north winds

From inciweb

SickofSocialists
Guest
SickofSocialists
4 years ago

A lot of ignorant comments from people with just enough knowledge to be dangerous.

These are the same people who cry about massive destructive wildfire, and then complain about smoke from prescribed fires.

The people who whine about the cost of wildfires, and then obstruct every attempt to reduce hazardous fuel loading through mechanical means.

Bottom line is that this is an excellent opportunity to let fire do what it does naturally in a wilderness setting. Low intensity fire, in a recently burned area, will spread slowly until it hits natural barriers or pre-identified containment points.

The reduced risk to firefighter lives is a major benefit. If you have ever dodged a 3+ foot diameter snag, which fell 3-5 minutes after catching on fire, then you will know what I mean.

But by all means if you can do better, then do it. Otherwise crawl back under your rock.

Paul
Guest
Paul
4 years ago

Try not to be too mean sos. It’s difficult, I know. Being mean makes you sound more like the progressives I know and argue with (debate). Educating them with intelligent comments is better; what you did in the second part of your comments. Most people are totally clueless when it comes to wildland firefighting. I was, until I signed on to the Big Bar Complex fire in 1999 as a runner. At 2200 hours up on the mountain in the dark I saw through the trees an entire mountain on fire across the valley. It simply took my breath away, and I was scared, until I realised it was over a mile off. The 2008 Ironside fire was even better. Standing at the base of a seven mile high smoke column as the whole mountain went up in an hour. I told my friend we would be running for our lives if it weren’t for the fact that the fire was moving away from us. Learning is difficult. Important to help people learn. Teach them.

As I have learned, progressives have feelings too. Even the nasty ones.

SickofSocialists
Guest
SickofSocialists
4 years ago
Reply to  Paul

The problem with these types is that they are intentionally ignorant. They have preconceived notions of how the world works, and they go out of their way to ignore any information that contradicts those notions.

They have stopped learning, and become angry if you prove them wrong. I believe the word for this is “stupid.”

It is for that reason I no longer attempt to “teach them.” Stupid people are always going to be stupid, and an accumulation of “facts” stored in their brains does not preclude them from being classified as stupid. Learning is only difficult if you choose not to learn. Anyone who shows a desire to learn will be taught, or even better, will learn with me.

On a final reply on the topic:

The Red Flag warning going into effect is not expected in impact the fire area. Accurate information is important 😐

tech
Guest
tech
4 years ago

Agreed! This particular area has a lot of snags too from the 2008 Yellow fire. I think it is funny how the same people fight both ends of the issue without realizing it. I think a great example is that in Paradise you needed a permit from the city to cut down any tree in city limits. And guess what? They didn’t issue many permits. There were similar issues with the Cobb Fire in 2015 and elsewhere in the state.

SickofSocialists
Guest
SickofSocialists
4 years ago
Reply to  tech

Another interesting fact (I do not think funny is the appropriate word) is that Pine forested areas in E California, such as S Lake Tahoe, prohibit removal of material from the ground. This fact came to light after the 2007 Angora fire where an entire subdivision burned down, and the fire nearly made it into the west side of town.

So they prohibit removal of ground and surface fuels to “keep Tahoe blue.” Imagine how blue it was after the runoff from a large wildfire and a destroyed subdivision 😐

Anyone who has seen S Lake Tahoe from above knows that it is a disaster waiting to happen. There has been a ton of hazardous fuels reduction projects began in the area, but guess what? There RARELY have the right smoke transport conditions (wind) for burning! Either the valley is smoked out and rich “progressives” cry, or the smoke heads toward Sac, and “progressive” politicians threaten people’s jobs.

Anyone who has seen the accumulation of surface fuels in residential yards around town will not think that “raking the forest” is a dumb idea.