USFS news release

JORDAN FIRE – FRIDAY UPDATE

Incident Start Date: 6/09/2019   Cause: Unknown   Size: 485 acres   Containment: 20%   

Incident Type: Full Suppression   Vegetation Type: Brush and timber

Agency: Inyo National Forest, U.S.D.A. Forest Service

Resources Assigned: Engines: 1   Helicopters: 5   Crews: 9   Total Personnel: 288

 Current Situation: The Inyo National Forest Type 3 Incident Management Organization is managing the Jordan Fire led by Incident Commander Todd McDivitt and Incident Commander Trainee Don Shoemaker.  The fire did not grow significantly yesterday although tactical firing was conducted to better protect the Jordan Hot Springs area.

Crews continue to make good progress in control line construction keeping the fire south of Nine Mile Creek and north of Manzanita Knob. Manzanita Knob, at 9,121 feet of elevation, is a prominent peak on a ridge that forms the boundary between the Inyo and Sequoia National Forests. One firefighter was struck by a rolling log, was evaluated by line medics and in an abundance of caution was flown to Fresno, CA for treatment. The patient was treated and released.

The Golden Trout Wilderness is one of the truly special places in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Working in a congressionally designated Wilderness may be a first-time experience for some of our suppression crews and support staff. Firefighters are challenged daily to make personal decisions that will mitigate the adverse effect of safely working and camping “where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

Detailed guidelines are utilized on how and where fire control lines are built and how hazardous dead trees are felled to minimize disturbance to natural resources and still stop the fires spread. “Leave-no-trace” practices are utilized for camp and sleeping locations, food storage and personal hygiene. Local resource advisors work with firefighters to educate and recommend “best practices” to minimize impacts. Advisors also identify areas that may need post fire rehabilitation to accelerate the transition back to wilderness standards. Any cultural resources that may be identified are reported and protected.

The Jordan fire is burning in old brush fields with down and standing dead trees from the McNally Fire. High fuel moisture in the brush has helped to moderate fire behavior and allowed the firefighters to build control lines close to the fires edge. This plan of direct line construction reduces the footprint of the fire and is consistent with the plan to safely fully suppress the fire. This tactic is constantly being evaluated by the fireline leadership including Division Supervisors and Hotshot Crew Superintendents.

This information is passed up through the Operations Section Chiefs to advise the Incident Commander on the effectiveness and safety of continuing or modifying the plan based on observed and predicted fire behavior.

For the latest information try these sources:

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6384/  Face book: www.facebook.com/inyonf

Twitter: @Inyo_NF

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Thursday morning update

Incident Start Date: 6/09/2019   Cause: Unknown   Size: 485 acres   Containment: 12%   

Incident Type: Full Suppression   Vegetation Type: Brush and timber

Agency: Inyo National Forest, U.S Forest Service

Resources Assigned: Engines: 1   Helicopters: 5   Crews: 8   Total Personnel: 256

Current Situation: The Inyo National Forest Type 3 Incident Management Team is managing the Jordan Fire led by Incident Commander Todd McDivitt and Incident Commander Trainee Don Shoemaker.

While the fire continued to grow the reported fire acreage was reduced due to improved mapping of the fire edge. The fire remains south of Nine Mile Creek and north of Manzanita Knob. Manzanita Knob, at 9,121 feet of elevation, is a prominent peak on a ridge that forms the boundary between the Inyo and Sequoia National Forests.

Close coordination between the Forests continues in mutual support of the Jordan Fire objectives. The fire is approximately 26 miles southwest of Lone Pine, California in the Golden Trout Wilderness. Firefighters work to minimize the impacts of line construction and camping to maintain the wilderness character of the land.

The Jordan Fire unfortunately experienced one heat related reportable illnesses yesterday afternoon. The bottom of the fire near Jordan Hot Springs is at 6,600 feet of elevation. The combination of high altitude and hot and dry weather can adversely affect firefighters. The ill firefighter was airlifted from the fire, received medical treatment and returned to duty.

Crews are reminded to stay hydrated and pace themselves as this is the first fire of what is expected to be another long fire season.

Limited Trail Closures Planned: Jordan Hot Springs is a popular hiking destination on the Inyo National Forest. It is currently serving as one of two spike camps for the Jordan Fire with firefighters camping there every night. Providing for firefighter and public safety is the highest priority and it would be unsafe to have the public so close to fire suppression activities.

Inyo Forest Supervisor Tammy Randall-Parker said, “To ensure the public can continue to safely enjoy the Golden Trout Wilderness, I am closing a limited number of trails that lead into the Jordan Fire area. The Pacific Crest Trail remains open and will not be affected by this decision.” The Trail Closure Order including a list and map of trails closed will be found on the Inyo National Forest web page athttps://www.fs.usda.gov/inyo.

For the latest information try these sources:

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6384/

www.facebook.com/inyonf

Twitter: @Inyo_NF

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From Wednesday

Incident Start Date: 6/09/2019   Cause: Unknown   Size: 581 acres   Containment: 5%      

Incident Type: Full Suppression   Vegetation Type: Brush and timber

Agency: Inyo National Forest, U.S Forest Service

Resources Assigned: Engines: 1   Helicopters: 4   Crews: 6 Total Personnel: 180

 Current Situation: The Inyo National Forest Type 3 Incident Management Team is managing the Jordan Fire led by Incident Commander Todd McDivitt.

The fire grew by approximately 250 acres to the east and south but remains south of Nine Mile Creek and north of Manzanita Knob.

Manzanita Knob is a prominent peak on a ridge that forms the boundary between the Inyo and Sequoia National Forests.

Close coordination between the Forests is taking place in mutual support of the Jordan Fire objectives. The fire is approximately 26 miles southwest of Lone Pine, California in the Golden Trout Wilderness.

Firefighters work to minimize the impacts of line construction and camping to maintain the wilderness character of the land.

Additional crews and other resources are arriving to suppress the Jordan Fire. After a briefing at the Incident Command Post in Lone Pine, crews and all their equipment are flown to within walking distance of the fire lines. These crews will stay at the fire for multiple days at one of two spike camps as helicopters provide food and supplies.

These additional crews increase the rate at which fire line can be safely built. As more crews arrive at the fire, the logistical needs to supply and feed the crews increases.  Pack mules are on order to relieve some of the logistical missions for the helicopters so they can increase the availability of water drops on the fire.

Direct and indirect line scouting and construction are the principle tactical objectives again today. Crews achieved 5 percent containment of the fire perimeter yesterday.

Fire fighters are exposed to risks due to the steep ground and high concentrations of standing dead trees killed during the McNally Fire. In addition to these risks commonly associated with fighting the fire, crews are also exposed to the risk of a chance encounter with a bear or rattlesnake. District Ranger David Andersen reported both animals have been observed in the vicinity of the fire.

A team of Fire Investigators visited the Jordan Fire yesterday to determine the point of the fire’s origin and if possible, determine the cause. The investigators identified the probable point of origin but due to the hazard of falling snags (standing dead trees) they could not safely get close enough to confirm the fire’s cause.

For the latest information try these sources:

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6384/

www.facebook.com/inyonf

Twitter: @Inyo_NF

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Jordan Fire Update
June 11, 2019

Incident Start Date: 6/09/2019 Cause: Unknown Size: 325 acres Containment: 0%
Incident Type: Full Suppression Vegetation Type: Brush and timber
Agency: Inyo National Forest, U.S Forest Service

Resources Assigned: Engines: 1 Helicopters: 3 Crews: 5 Total Personnel: 146
Current Situation: The Inyo National Forest Type 3 Incident Management Team is managing the Jordan Fire.

The fire is burning in the Golden Trout Wilderness near Soda Flat south of Nine Mile Creek. The fire is approximately 26 miles southwest of Lone Pine, California.

Dead standing and down timber from the 2002 McNally Fire and Whitethorn brush
are the principle vegetation burning in the steep, rugged terrain.

Today firefighters are being flown by helicopter to the Jordan Spike Camp from the Lone Pine Airport. Crews will camp near the fire to increase firefighting efficiency. Crews will develop an anchor point to begin fireline construction.

“The Jordan Fire is burning in steep, rugged country with snag hazards that will challenge the crews building line. Providing for firefighter safety is the highest priority for every fire fighter, fire manager and agency employee assigned to this fire,” said Tammy Randall-Parker, Forest Supervisor of the Inyo National Forest.

Opportunities for direct line construction along the fire edge on the east and west sides of the fire will be scouted. Other crews will provide point protection on the private inholding as necessary at nearby Soda Flat and scout indirect firelines away from the fire edge towards Manzanita Knob.

Most people will not see any evidence of the fire given its remote location. But those living or visiting in the Kern River Valley will be impacted by drift smoke particularly in the morning hours. The Jordan Fire is burning in the Kern River drainage approximately 33 miles north of Kernville, California.

During the day smoke from the fire is carried to the southwest toward Inyokern and Ridgecrest, but at night smoke from the fire settles into the canyons and valleys and flows south down the Kern River impacting the communities of Kernville and Lake Isabela.

For the latest information try these social media platforms:
www.facebook.com/inyonf
Twitter: @Inyo_NF
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6384/