Successful Firing Operation at the Park Fire: A Case Study
Satellite imagery by Zeke Lunder
Written by Ryan Stephens
In late July, we took a trip up Highway 32 to observe the aftermath of a firing operation conducted to control the spread of the Park Fire. This operation was a critical measure to mitigate the risk of the fire jumping Highway 32 and potentially impacting Butte Meadows. The firing operation created a buffer zone by intentionally setting controlled fires along the North side of 32 to depriving the main fire of fuel. We are pleased to report that the operation was a success and the areas we visited within the firing operation showed a mix of mostly beneficial effects.
Check out the video of us driving through the area burned between 7/28 and 8/1. Note, some of this area had natural fire spread. We don’t have intel yet on how the interior of the area burned while the firing operations were occurring were lit, or if they were lit at all:
During our visit to the area burned adjacent to Highway 32, we observed a wide range of fire effects. The evidence on the ground was clear: the areas where where ladder fuels were well managed and large trees had wide spacing burned with low intensity, and in many areas, it appears the fire struggled to carry through the understory. Remarkably, even some patches of grass and thick needles in the understory remained unburned.
Other areas, where trees had been recently replanted in clear-cuts with full sun, the fire’s impact was higher.
Sentinel satellite imagery from after the burn further corroborates these observations. The satellite data shows intact canopy coverage (blue) throughout most of the previously forested area impacted by the firing operation. This imagery highlights the wide variety of fire effects possible, even in thick forests, when burning conditions ease due to cooler temperatures, lower winds, higher humidities, a more stable atmosphere, or combinations of all of these factors.
The following maps show a flip-book style progression of Highway 32 Firing Ops. Each of these photos show the Park Fire perimeter, starting July 27th and ending July 31st. Roughly 24 hours time passed between each image. The Sentinel imagery above and the images below are taken from the exact same location and help to narrate the story of how fire moved through the landscape.
Benefits of the Firing Operation and Natural Burning under Milder Weather
The firing operation not only successfully controlled the Park Fire along Highway 32 but the area where the fire burned freely, adjacent to the firing operation also brought ecological benefits similar to what we often set out to accomplish with prescribed fire:
The Park Fire Highway 32 firing operation is a powerful example of how strategic use of fire during firefighting can actually result in ecological benefits to our forests and increase the longer-term fire resilience of nearby communities when the timing is right.