Wildfire

As firefighters complete suppression repair around Butt Lake,they are taking note of the fire effects in the area. In the longterm,this area will benefit from results of low intensity fire that >mimics how fire historically behaved in this forest.

Due to the deliberate burning techniques of firefighters, the fire that burned adjacent to the lake cleared the forest floor of the accumulation of dead and downed forest fuels and helped recycle nutrients to the soil. Most of the canopy remains green and wildlife is moving through the area. Some places did burn hotter, but this fire mosaic provides locations for sun-loving species to thrive. There are areas with unnaturally high fire intensity as well. They

make up approximately ten percent of the fire area. The population of fir was somewhat reduced. They grew in unnaturally high numbers in the absence of naturally-occurring, low intensity fires. This forest will become less susceptible to dangerous fire in the future because firs’ down sloping limbs act as a ladder that can carry fire from the forest floor to the canopy. Preparation done by crews also helped the surrounding landscape. The thinning of the thicker, overpopulated vegetation along the road systems not only aided in buffering the fuel breaks, but opened up some views and allowed the larger trees to stay healthy by not having to compete for soil nutrients, water

and sunlight. Fire crews are also improving road conditions, stabilizing the soil,and removing fire-weakened trees along the road corridor. The fire did not enter the campgrounds. Visitors to Butt Lake in upcoming years will see more wildflowers and plant biodiversity, which in turn nourishes wildlife. It will continue to be a popular recreation location. Top to bottom: The view across Butt Lake from the eastern shore, from the dam, and heading

down to the lake along the road. Photos courtesy of the US Forest Service

Closures: All National Forest Campgrounds and Day Use Areas on the west shore of Lake Almanor have been re-opened by the Plumas and Lassen National Forests. Seneca is open to residents only of the community of Seneca. Seneca Road is not open to through traffic.

·The Almanor Campground (Highway 89) remains closed due to fire equipment.

·Caribou Road between Butt Lake Dam Gansner Campgrounds.

·Rush Creek Road from Highway 70 - Open to residents only.

·All additional secondary roads North of Highway 70 between Rock Creek Dam and Twain from Highway 70.

·Seneca Road from Highway 89.

·Ohio Valley Road, Humbug/Humboldt Road and all additional secondary roads west of Highway 89 between Canyon Dam and the Humbug/Humboldt Road from Highway 89.

The Plumas and Lassen National Forests continue to maintain Forest Closures within and surrounding the Chips Fire area.

• Butt Lake Road (Road 305) has re-opened to the Butt Lake dam. The road leaves Highway 89 near Prattville and then runs along the eastern shore of Butt Lake. Butt Lake Rd. remains closed beyond Butt Lake Dam. PG&E facilities including the Ray Adams Boat Launch and Ponderosa Campground at the lake will re-open while the Cool Springs Campground will remain closed for the season.
• The Yellow Creek (PG&E) Campground, along the Humbug/Humboldt Road (Road 307), has closed for the season. This road remains closed.
• The Gansner Campground, on Caribou Road off Highway 70, is open. Caribou road remains closed beyond the campground.
• The Bucks Lake Wilderness closure on the Plumas National Forest has been, lifted allowing Pacific Crest Trail hikers from Three Lakes northbound to the Belden Trailhead on Highway 70. The PCT remains closed north of Belden to Poison Springs on the Lassen National Forest.

Closures: All National Forest Campgrounds and Day Use Areas on the west shore of Lake Almanor have been re-opened by the Plumas and Lassen National Forests. Seneca is open to residents only of the community of Seneca. Seneca Road is not open to through traffic.

Firefighters continue to mop-up along the eastern edge of the fire to extinguish any remaining pockets of heat within 300 feet of the line. Unburned vegetation within the fire perimeter continues to burn and has become active under the warm and dry weather pattern. Firefighters continue to work on an active fire area southwest of Seneca. However, the community itself has been secured and residents have returned.

Suppression repair continues, primarily on the northwest, west, and southwest edge of the fireline. Crews are focusing on repairing roads and culverts, rehabilitating bulldozer lines, and installing water bars to mitigate erosion within the fire area.

Please be aware that smoke will continue to be visible within the fire area for some time, due to pockets of previously unburned vegetation igniting. These interior areas of burning pose no threat to the fire line, nor to containment of the fire, and continue to help reduce built up fuels on the ground.

Throughout tonight and again tomorrow, crews will continue to patrol inside and outside the fire area, and will continue to extinguish hot spots that are detected. Also, crews will continue to monitor the area surrounding Seneca in order to ensure that any spot fires in that area do not pose a threat to private property and structures.

With full containment reached on the Chips Fire, the incident will be transitioning to a Type 2 Incident Management Team effective 6:00 a.m. tomorrow. The new team, NorCal Team 2, will shadow the current team today before assuming command the morning of September 1.

Incident Commander Rocky Opliger addressed day shift firefighters at the morning briefing, "From the critical burnout, to night operations; all the support we've gotten from air resources, to the guys spiking out on the line-you've all done a heck of a job on this fire," commended Opliger. "But there's still a lot of work to do and not all of it is done on the fire line. It's about relationships, the community and the cooperators. Now as we transition to the NorCal Team, you're all in great hands. And on behalf of our team, thank you."