FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Public Affairs Officer: Lisa Cox
[email protected]
(760) 873-2427
www.fs.usda.gov/inyo
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Inyo National Forest to conduct pile burning on June Mountain starting March 4

BISHOP, Calif., February 27, 2025 — Inyo National Forest fire personnel will be conducting approximately 12 acres of pile burning near June Mountain Ski Area starting Tuesday March 4 and continuing throughout the week as necessary.

Located adjacent to the upper portion of the mountain and west of the groomed trails (see map below; units MR-04 and MR05, circled), this pile burning project aims to decrease wildfire intensity and risk for neighborhoods and developed recreation sites near June Mountain, while also reintroducing fire to a fire-dependent ecosystem and minimizing spread of invasive weeds.

Smoke is not expected to significantly impact the ski area, however smoke will be visible especially from June and Mammoth Mountain ski areas. Firefighters always seek to minimize smoke impacts by coordinating burning with Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District and National Weather Service meteorologists to ensure desired weather patterns for optimal smoke dispersal. Smoke tends to drift and settle in low-lying areas, especially overnight. After ignitions are complete, smoke may continue to be visible up to a week while resources mop up.

Forest personnel work in close coordination with June Mountain Ski Area leadership to ensure buildings, ski lifts, storage facilities, and other installations within the vicinity of the project area have no impacts. Piles will be burned under conditions such as adequate levels of snow that will not allow for significant creep outside the burn pile footprint.

Please recreate cautiously near the burn piles, as hot “ash pits” in the snow are created where the piles were ignited and consumed. These pits generally remain hot for a few days after ignitions are completed. The public and their pets should avoid these areas during burning and a few days after.

These ‘slash piles’ are from meadow restoration thinning projects in 2023 under the June Mountain Ski Area Vegetation Management Plan from 2012, which aims to protect human life and property while suppressing wildfire. Located within the wildland-urban interface, this area has also been identified within the Mono County Wildfire Protection Plan as having very high wildlife hazard and therefore priority for fuel reduction.