‘A real success story’: Cal Fire says fuel reduction work limited Place County fire’s spread
18 August 2022
Published by: https://www.kcra.com
USA – Fuel reduction includes clearing trees, brush and other vegetation from flammable areas
Cal Fire is crediting its fuel reduction plan with preventing the Oak Fire in Placer County from spreading farther than it did.
Fuel reduction is a preventative effort that includes removing trees and brush, and mowing vegetation, to make areas less flammable in the case of a fire. Crews do this kind of forest management every so often, and KCRA 3 got a closer look at the real impact it can have during an active situation.
Cal Fire Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit Forester Steve Garcia showed a spot fire location along the North Fork American River Shaded Fuel Break that ignited due to embers from the Oak Fire near Weimar. Garcia said it was able to be put out due in large part to prior fuel reduction work.
“This is one of the main, primary installations,” Garcia said. “This has been treated multiple times over the last decade.”
The spot fire ignited about one mile out in front of the main fire. However, Garcia said by getting rid of some trees and brush in the area, the flames stayed mostly to the ground.
Additionally, with no trees in the way, retardant from air tankers made direct contact with the fire to put it out. Garcia added that if crews had not made fuel reduction efforts in that area, the Oak Fire could have been much worse.
“Most likely, that fire would have gotten into the canyon. It would have been a much larger, much more costly, hazardous fire, and probably much more of a risk to the community,” Garcia said.
Another huge help, according to Garcia, is the fact that dirt roads were created and maintained ahead of time, so fire engines could more easily access spot fires. Garcia said the overall result of all these forest management efforts shows how crucial fuel reduction work is.
“Clearly, this was a real success story,” Garcia said.
As of Tuesday, the Oak Fire burned 22 acres, a slight increase of 17 acres Monday evening, showing how drastically the fire’s path of spread was slowed.
Garcia also told KCRA 3 that some of the land impacted by the Oak Fire spot fires is part of a proposal for more maintenance under a new Cal Fire grant. Work on that land is expected to happen sometime in the next year.
