This Summer’s wildfires across Northern California forests could have been devastating but, as Shasta-Trinity National Forest officials point out, time is of the essence in preventing small fires from becoming large fires. Tens of Thousands of lightning strikes touched down on dry vegetation over the last few months, far more than a typical season. Those strikes ignited well over 100 fires in the Shasta-Trinity Forests alone. The great majority of the fires were held to no more than a few acres. That’s due to pre-planning, as additional crews, dozers and aircraft were placed in key forest locations for quick response. Another factor is the sharing of resources among agencies and districts. Almost all of the larger fires are very close to containment now. The Blue Fire south of Seiad Valley remains just 32% contained at 3,680 acres.
-Steve Gibson