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News & Features
From the Idyllwild Town Crier weekly newspaper, 05.08.08 edition.
By
J.P. Crumrine, Assistant Editor
One burning cigarette has been attributed to a blaze that scorched
nearly 800 acres and displaced many hikers along the Pacific Crest
Trail (PCT) last week. Authorities have not released the name of the
suspect who has been cited.
The Apache Fire started Tuesday, April 29, at a stump near Apache Peak
along the PCT. The blaze was contained Sunday evening.
By Saturday, three days after arrival of the Interagency Incident
Management Team (IMT), which Carlton Joseph (Cleveland National Forest)
headed, many of the closed trails reopened to the north of Idyllwild.
The PCT and the San Jacinto Wilderness area remain closed from Saddle
Junction south to Highway 74. All feeder trails to the PCT in Garner
Valley remain closed until further notice.
As of Tuesday, the San Jacinto Ranger District was not sure when this
section of the trail would be reopened. When a fire is contained, there
may be still smoldering embers and snags in some areas. Trail closures
will continue while crews work in the area to restore trails and slopes.
“As far as recreation impacts, approximately a mile-and-a-half of
Pacific Crest Trail between Saddle Junction and Spitler Trail has been
damaged by the fire,” said District Ranger Laurie Rosenthal. “A Burned
Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has been formed and today [Tuesday]
began to evaluate impacts and needs. Until this team has an opportunity
to evaluate the situation, we will not be able to predict how long the
current closure will remain in effect.”
Meanwhile the Forest Service has begun flying over the fire scene to
take infrared photographs to identify and to map the remaining hot
spots. Crews may remain in the area for a while to complete the cleanup.
Fighting a fire in the San Jacinto Wilderness was not a problem,
according to Joseph. He assumed command of the Southern California Team
1 IMT this year. He succeeded former San Jacinto Ranger District Chief
Norm Walker, who retired. However, Walker has assumed Joseph’s deputy
commander role.
The team’s goal from its arrival on Wednesday was fire suppression,
even for one burning in the wilderness. Joseph noted that the district
has no wildland fire-use plans that might employ the fire to burn
vegetation in the manner of a planned prescribed burn.
“More burning was not an option given the recreation and natural values
in this area,” Joseph stressed. “Also, there were numerous threats to
wildland urban interface communities such as Idyllwild and Garner
Valley. Certainly Palm Desert was vulnerable with the winds blowing
east.”
Almost from the beginning, Joseph gained approval to use chain saws,
water dropping equipment and retardant in the wilderness area.
Helicopters became critical for another reason, too.
On the first day, crews had to hike to the fire over nearly 3.5 miles
of very steep, rough and rocky terrain. Carrying all their equipment
took a toll on the firefighters’ energy levels upon confronting the
blaze.
Wednesday evening, the ICT leadership devised a shuttle plan. They
needed a small air force and permission to land helicopters in the
wilderness. When those requirements were met, expanding from nine hand
crews to more than 30 teams was easier, especially getting manpower,
equipment and supplies to the firefighters on the ground.
The first ground troops identified several of the few flat areas
available for helicopters to land. Then they had to clear the areas so
that air resources could deliver humans and other resources.
Some helicopters carried as few as three firefighters and the large
ones airlifted 10 firefighters. But at this elevation, a few of the
small helicopters still could not attain the necessary lift to carry
anyone over the ridge.
“The helicopters reduced exposure to injury. It’s amazing, we had zero
reportable injuries,” Joseph said proudly. “We put together a good air
force for water drops and troop transport. That was very important to
our success.”
All of the helipads must be returned to the original state, Joseph
said. The BAER, the first step to rehabilitate the area, has begun.
At its peak, the fire team numbered more than 725 people, seven
helicopters and seven fixed-wing aircraft.
Trail
and wilderness information
Open:
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Saddle Junction north
San Jacinto Wildernessa from Devil’s Slide Trail northward
Mt. San Jacinto State Park Wilderness
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
(No campfires are permitted in either wilderness area)
Closed until further notice:
The PCT and the San Jacinto Wilderness from Saddle Junction south to
Highway 74
Southridge Trail
Spitler Peak Trail
Fobes Ranch Trail
Cedar Springs Trail
Idyllwild Ranger Station office, (909) 382-2922.
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