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Map based on Sentinel-2 satellite imagery from August 3, 2024 and partially ground-truthed by our team in portions of the southern and western edges of the burn scar, but access to a considerable amount of the Alexander Mountain Fire has proven difficult. Based on what we were able to ground-truth, we believe this BARC map is a reasonably accurate representation of fire impacts and the burn severity of soils.
Moderate and high soil burn severity can alter or damage physical, chemical, and biological soil properties, resulting in increased runoff, erosion, and negative effects to soil productivity. These soil properties include but are not limited to soil cover (effective litter), soil organic matter content, hydrophobicity (water repellency), soil pore space, and soil structure. Changes to these soil properties determine the degree of soil burn severity. Loss of effective ground cover, especially on steep slopes, greatly increases the probability of soil erosion and increased runoff.
Post-Fire BAER Assessment: Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)
THREE PHASES OF WILDFIRE RECOVERY
There are three phases of recovery following wildfires on federal lands:
1. Fire Suppression Repair
2. Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)
3. Long-Term Recovery and Restoration
- Fire Suppression Repair is a series of immediate post-fire actions taken to repair damages and minimize potential soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression activities and usually begins before the fire is contained, and before the demobilization of an Incident Management Team. This work repairs the hand and dozer fire lines, roads, trails, staging areas, safety zones, and drop points used during fire suppression efforts.
- Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) is a rapid assessment of burned watersheds by a BAER team to identify imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands and take immediate actions to implement emergency stabilization measures before the first post-fire damaging events. Fires result in loss of vegetation, exposure of soil to erosion, and increased water runoff that may lead to flooding, increased sediment, debris flows, and damage to critical natural and cultural resources. BAER actions such as: mulching, seeding, installation of erosion and water run-off control structures, temporary barriers to protect recovering areas, and installation of warning signs may be implemented. BAER work may also replace safety related facilities; remove safety hazards; prevent permanent loss of habitat for threatened and endangered species; prevent the spread of noxious weeds and protect critical cultural resources.
- Long-Term Recovery and Restoration utilizes non-emergency actions to improve fire-damaged lands that are unlikely to recover naturally and to repair or replace facilities damaged by the fire that are not critical to life and safety. This phase may include restoring burned habitat, reforestation, other planting or seeding, monitoring fire effects, replacing burned fences, interpreting cultural sites, treating noxious weed infestations, and installing interpretive signs.
BAER SAFETY MESSAGE: Everyone near and downstream from the burned areas should remain alert and stay updated on weather conditions that may result in heavy rains and increased water runoff. Flash flooding may occur quickly during heavy rain events--be prepared to act. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/bou/
| Current as of | Sun, 08/11/2024 - 13:41 |
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| Incident Type | Burned Area Emergency Response |
| Coordinates |
40° 26' 32'' Latitude
--105° 16' 20
'' Longitude
|
| Weather Concerns | Everyone near and downstream from the burned areas should remain alert and stay updated on weather conditions that may result in heavy rains and increased water runoff. Flash flooding may occur quickly during heavy rain events--be prepared to act. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/bou/ |
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