Single Publication

BURNED AREA EMERGENCY RESPONSE

BASIN POST-FIRE 

BAER SOIL BURN SEVERITY MAP RELEASED

JULY 17, 2024

Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) specialists recently completed their data gathering and analysis for the Basin Fire burned area to produce a soil burned severity (SBS) map. This map and data display categories of unburned/low, moderate, and high. Approximately 56% of the total 14,059 acres analyzed by the BAER team are either unburned and/or low soil burn severity, while 42% sustained a moderate soil burn severity, and only about 2% identified as high soil burn severity. Note: InciWeb Basin Fire information currently shows that the fire is 95% contained at 14,023 acres. The team’s burned area analysis included 26 additional acres outside of the current fire perimeter.

The BAER assessment team used initial remote sensing imagery with their field validated soils data, to develop and produce a map showing soil burn severity levels for the burned areas The SBS is broken into four different classes: unburned (green), low severity (blue), moderate severity (yellow), and high severity (red). For more information on what these different SBS classifications mean, see BAER Information Brief at: Casnf Basin Postfire Baer - | InciWeb (wildfire.gov).

The BAER team relied on their refined soil burn severity map to produce data which they are using in their subsequent modeling and determination of post fire runoff and sedimentation. The BAER teams and the US Geological Survey (USGS) both utilized the soil burn severity map as an analysis tool to estimate post-fire flows and debris flow probability. In specific areas that experienced moderate to high burn severity, there could be increased runoff from steep hillslopes and resultant increases in post-fire soil erosion and potential debris flows.

The Basin soil burn severity (SBS) map can be downloaded at the Basin Post-Fire BAER InciWeb site: Casnf Basin Postfire Baer Information | InciWeb (wildfire.gov) as a JPEG or PDF version under the “Maps” tab.

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 the National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/hnx/.

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