Klamath National Forest
U.S. Forest Service
1711 S. Main St
Yreka, CA 96097
Klamath National Forest
Phone: 530-643-0945
Klamath National Forest Fall/Winter 2021 Prescribed Burning
Recent cooler temperatures and precipitation have allowed fire managers to shift gears to implementing prescribed fire in the form of pile burns across the Klamath National Forest.
The ecosystems in the Klamath National Forest evolved with frequent mixed-severity fire. This essential component of the ecosystem was removed over more than a century of fire suppression, resulting in an unnatural accumulation of fuels in the forest. Prescribed burning is a tool the fire managers use to return fire to the landscape when conditions are favorable to reduce fuel loadings within ecosystems, making them more resilient to the effects from future wildfires.
Fuels reduction using prescribed fire is also an effective way to provide firefighters with safer places to engage wildfires when they occur. Prescribed fire treatments have been found to be successful in reducing flame lengths during subsequent wildfire events, providing increased opportunities for suppression operations. These effects make prescribed fire particularly useful as a treatment around communities and other values within the wildland.
The Klamath National Forest typically implements prescribed underburns in the fall and spring when conditions are favorable. Fall usually presents an ideal but short window for prescribed underburning, since the fuels are dry enough to carry fire, yet weather conditions have moderated enough to subdue fire behavior and precipitation events associated with winter are on the horizon. Pile burning typically happens later in the fall and winter, after enough precipitation has been received to prevent fire spread. This year the early arrival of plentiful amounts of precipitation precluded prescribed burning in the fall, so firefighters turned their focus to pile burning.
Siskiyou County residents and visitors may notice smoke from these projects in the coming weeks. If smoke is encountered on a roadway, please reduce your speed, turn on headlights, and watch out for any fire personnel or apparatus.
The following is a list of pile burning projects that are planned for each ranger district on the Klamath National Forest. Visit the 'News' section on this page for additional information on planned units and active operations.
Scott-Salmon River Ranger District:
Just over one thousand acres of pile burning are planned across the district.
Happy Camp-Oak Knoll Ranger District:
Fire crews from Oak Knoll will be targeting approximately 4,200 acres of pile burning.
Further to the west, Happy Camp fire crews will be focusing on nearly 9,500 acres of pile burning. Pile units are located primarily in two areas: between the community of Happy Camp and Huckleberry Mountain, and between Seiad and Lake Mountain.
Goosenest Ranger District:
Current as of | |
Incident Type | Prescribed Fire |
Coordinates | 41.707 latitude, -122.644 longitude |