Cowtrack Lightning Fire Update

Release Date: Jul 25, 2023

Inciweb: inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cainf-cowtrack-lightning-fire

Location: Mono Lake Ranger District of the Inyo National Forest, off Highway 120 East approximately 20 miles east of Highway 395 on Forest Service Road 1S19, 6 miles southeast of Mono Lake.

Resources: 5 Engines, 3 Hand Crews, 1 Wildland Fuel Module, 3 Water Tenders, 1 Helicopter, 110 total personnel including overhead.

Acres burned to date: 0.25

Target Acreage to complete: 394 or less

Cause: Lightning

Summary:

For the past three days, firefighting resources have been prepping the 360-acre site by strengthening control lines along the 1S19 road system, while integrating arriving supporting resources before firing operations can begin. Starting Tuesday night, they plan to direct the naturally-ignited lightning fire with ignitions by hand to continue guiding wildfire for the best effects.

This effort will help improve forest health in the area by the reintroducing fire on the landscape that depends on it. More specifically, fire in Jeffrey pine habitat is essential for resilience to bark beetle infestations, while the soils need fire for nutrient turnover.

“Jeffrey pine forest regular fire return interval every 15-20 years, and this particular area is overdue,” said Mono Lake District Ranger, Stephanie Heller. “With this particular area not high on the prescribed fire priority list, it is important that the opportunity to guide this naturally-ignited fire continues — while also ensuring firefighter safety and availability of resources.”

Current Plan:

The current plan is to start firing operations at night due to daytime temperatures in the 80s. However if there is not enough consumption to achieve the desired effects best for the habitat, they may choose to switch firing operations to a morning or mid-day time frame. Firefighters may also be able to achieve the entire goal in one night, or it may take place over the span of up to four days. This all depends on how the fire behavior informs them on what course of action will provide the desired effects.

To the north, contingency resources are being put in place should the fire not behave as predicted in order to ensure fire does not enter the habitat of the Bi-state sage grouse. The 1S19 road system is the main method being used to contain this fire.

Smoke should be minimal, and is being minimized as much as possible in coordination with the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District. Smoke is predicted to drift north from the site toward Mono Lake. In the evenings, smoke may settle down into the valley areas.

More information will be posted on the Inciweb page and the Inyo National Forest’s Facebook page.

Background:

After it was determined on the evening of July 21 to proceed with managing the Cowtrack Fire for resource benefit, fire personnel ordered resources and began to prep the site. Due to its remote location far from resources at risk such as structures, rivers, or popular recreation sites, coupled with desirable conditions of higher than normal fuel moistures and availability of resources, it was determined to be a great candidate for managing fire for resource benefit (also called “multiple objectives”).

“In instances like the Cowtrack Fire, we are always evaluating whether or not a wildfire is at the right place, at the right time with the right resources in order to manage it for resource benefit,” said Agency Adminstrator for the Cowtrack Fire, Jason Kuiken.

Since the start of the lightning fire, firefighters have held it at a quarter-acre fire while it smolders, so as necessary resources arrive, they may continue what nature started by conducting firing operations.

Every fire is managed, and every fire has a containment strategy. The strategy is determined and adapted using a full spectrum of management actions that consider fire and fuel conditions, predicted short- and long-term weather conditions, values at risk, resource availability, land management plans and designations, smoke impacts and successful potential.

Availability of resources can change during the fire season. During Preparedness levels 4 and 5, available resources, particularly aircraft, can be stretched thin, which will contribute to the development of tactics based on limited resources. Currently, the Southern California Geographic Area Coordination Center which includes the Inyo National Forest is sitting at Preparedness Level 2.