Single Publication

BAER TEAM RELEASES UPDATED SOIL BURN SEVERITY MAP FOR BLACK FIRE

The Gila National Forest (NF) BAER team has released the final soil burn severity (SBS) map for the Black Fire’s burned area using post-fire satellite imagery from June 6 and June 15, 2022. The team’s updated SBS map analyzes 327,263 acres of the Caballo, Mimbres, and Upper Gila, watersheds. The map and the data display soil burn severity (SBS) categories of unburned/very low, low, moderate and high.

Approximately 75% of these updated acres are either unburned/very low or low SBS, while 17% are moderate SBS and 6% are high SBS. The updated SBS map also shows 2% (6,691 acres) of area at the southern end of the fire as having no data based on the June 22, Black Fire perimeter where post-fire satellite imagery was not available for fire growth that occurred after June 15 due to cloud cover.

Changes in soil cover, water repellency, and soil physical/biological conditions guide the interpretations to determine the severity burn level of the soil. Water repellency can occur naturally in soil and may change as a function of fire. Fire can increase the strength and thickness (or depth) of water-repellent layers in soil, considerably affecting post-fire water runoff and possibly extending time for recovery of the burned area.

For addition information about understanding SBS, see: Post-Fire Effects: Understanding Soil Burn Severity - InciWeb the Incident Information System (nwcg.gov).

The updated post-fire SBS map has been posted on the “Black Post-Fire BAER” InciWeb site: Black Post-Fire BAER Maps - InciWeb the Incident Information System (nwcg.gov).
 
UNDER RELATED INFORMATION BELOW: See Link for ENGLISH and SPANISH BAER Updates.