FOREST SERVICE BAER TEAM BEGINS POST-FIRE ASSESSMENT OF NOGAL CANYON AND MCBRIDE FIRES
After a large wildfire, special actions may be necessary to provide for public and community safety and protect critical natural and cultural resources on federal managed lands. For example, loss of vegetation exposes soil to erosion; water runoff may increase and lead to flooding. Sediment may move downstream damaging roads and infrastructure or put endangered species and cultural resources at risk. The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program evaluates these situations on federal lands to help guard the safety of National Forest (NF) visitors and employees, protect federal property, and critical natural or cultural resources from further damage.
A BAER team has been established by the Lincoln NF to begin a burned area assessment of the Nogal Canyon and McBride Fires that recently burned on private, state, and federal lands. The Forest Service BAER team assesses National Forest System (NFS) lands. Information about the Nogal Canyon Fire can be found online at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8062/, the McBride Fire at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8061/, the Nogal Canyon BAER assessment at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8072/, and information about the McBride BAER assessment at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8080/.
BAER assessments are rapid evaluations of the burned area that are used to identify unacceptable risks on federal lands from post-fire threats and assist land managers in preparing burned areas for potential threats from rainstorms. Soil erosion and runoff from rainstorms is sometimes, but not always, increased within and downstream of burned areas.
BAER teams focus on emergency actions necessary to protect human life and safety, property, and critical natural and cultural resources. They assess potential post-fire impacts to affected watersheds. Additionally, they coordinate and share information from their assessments with other federal agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and US Geological Survey (USGS), state agencies, and local affected counties and municipalities. NRCS is a federal agency that has post-fire responsibilities on private lands both within and downstream of burned areas.
The Forest Service BAER team assessing the Nogal Canyon and McBride Fires consists of hydrologists, soil scientist, road engineers, biologists, botanists, archaeologists, recreation specialists, and geographic information system (GIS) specialists. BAER assessment teams collect data during ground and aerial surveys and create maps using GIS and modeling to evaluate post-fire risks. The first step in the BAER assessment process is taking pre-fire and post-fire satellite imagery and data collected during ground surveys to produce a soil burn severity map. The soil burn severity provides baseline information to determine changed watershed conditions for assessing potential watershed impacts from wildfires. This information is compiled and presented to NF leadership along with recommended emergency stabilization treatments and actions in a BAER assessment report.
The Forest Service BAER assessment report is shared with interagency cooperators such as NRCS and local counties who work with adjacent and downstream private homeowners, landowners, and businesses to prepare for potential post-fire flooding and debris flow impacts.
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