U.S. Forest Service Releases Report on Effectiveness of Fuel Treatments during the 2013 Mountain Fire

U.S. Forest Service has issued its report on last July’s Mountain fire in the San Jacinto Mountains. The primary goal of the report was to assess the effectiveness of fuel treatments in reducing fire behavior or the ability of the treatments to improve of fire suppression efforts near communities. The report recognized the coordinated efforts of private landowners and the Mountain Area Safety Task Force (MAST) in completing fuels reduction projects that as result, helped save homes in the communities. The Riverside County MAST activated evacuation and emergency plans that local, state and federal agencies developed and refined since 2002. The MAST effort greatly enhanced the safe evacuation of residents and visitors during the Mountain Fire. The Mountain fire started at approximately 1:43 p.m. on July 15 on private property south of Idyllwild, CA, near the junction of Highways 74 and 243. The fire spread quickly to the east through grass, chaparral and into timber with litter and understory grasses and shrubs. The fire crossed Highway 243 and through the U.S. Forest Service’s Keenwild Station at a high rate of spread, threatening communities and properties dispersed through the San Bernardino National Forest. Considerable resources were deployed on the fire, including fixed and rotor-wing aircraft, ground crews and support infrastructure, at a cost of approximately $26 million. The fire was declared contained on July 30 at 27,531 acres. The report, titled “2013 Mountain Fire Fuel Treatment Effectiveness Summary” can be found online at: http://go.usa.gov/ABJm