Summit County Citizens Voice

Lightning started a 1,200-acre wildfire in sagebrush and scattered pines near Mono Lake, California. Firefighters have contained the blaze 100 percent. PHOTO COURTESY U.S. FOREST SERVICE.

2,000 firefighters battling 16,000-acre fire in the Sequoia National Forest; protect your home by taking simple steps

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Multiple new fires have been reported across the West in the past few days, many of them lighting-sparked as summer thunderstorms fire up over the region. The biggest blaze currently is the 16,000 acre Bull Fire in California’s Sequoia National Forest.

More than 2,000 firefighters, assisted by planes and helicopters, have achieved about 12 percent containment of the fire burning near Kernville. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. A section of Highway 99 near the Headwaters Campground remains closed, but residents in nearby communities have returned to their homes.

Also in California, a 1,200 acre wildfire is burning near in sagebrush and some scattered Jeffrey Pine groves near Mono Lake, in the Mono Basin National Scenic Area, between Highway 395 and the north end of the Mono Craters. The Mono Fire has been 100 percent contained within its perimeter.

Get all the wildfire updates, photos, Twitter links for specific fires and more at Inciweb.
Protect your property from wildfires by educating yourself at Firewise.org and take simple steps to protect your home:

1. Use fire-resistant construction materials to deter embers. Replace wood roofs with fire- resistant Class A roofing materials. Plug openings in roof coverings with non-combustible materials. Windows should be multiple-pane, tempered-glass. Cover eaves and vents with 1/8″ wire mesh. Fill gaps in siding with a good quality caulk. Wooden decks and fences should have a non-combustible section against the house.

2. Create survivable space around your house. Thin and prune trees within 125 feet of your home. Remove branches that overhang the roof. Ensure trees or clumps of trees are spaced 20 feet apart at the canopy to help prevent flames from traveling through the tree tops.

3. Use fire-resistant vegetation within 30 feet of structures. Replace wood mulches with non- combustible types and remove dead plant debris next to the house and wooden fences. Move woodpiles away from the home.

4. Remove leaves and pine needles from your roof, gutters, and deck. Plant debris could easily be ignited by flying embers.

5. Prune shrubs, cut grass and remove weeds regularly. Remove excess growth as well as dead leaves and branches to decrease their flammability and the threat they could pose during a wildland fire.

6. Remove “ladder fuels.” Prune tree limbs so the lowest is between 6′-10′ from the ground. Fire burning through tall, dry grass could ignite these limbs and climb to the top of the tree with relative ease.

7. Ensure garden hoses and gas-powered equipment are in good repair. Hoses develop leaks and deteriorate with age and exposure. During fire season, fuel your lawn mower away from dry, flammable grass.

The Summit County Wildfire Council helps support coverage of forest health and wildfire issues.

Filed under: Environment, forest fires, forests, Summit County Colorado Tagged: | Bull Fire, forest fires, Forest Service, Mono Fire, Sequoia National Forest fire, Summit County Colorado, Summit County News, Wildfires