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National Fire Plan Success Story

Seven Pines Fuel Reduction Successful
Inyo National Forest, California
2007

The Seven Pines project area before treatment.
The treatment area prior to prescribed fire and the Inyo Complex Fire.

Firefighter lighting a prescribed fire in the Seven Pines project area.
The techniques used to reduce hazardous fuels in the Seven Pines project varied from mechanically removing vegetation to the use of prescribed fire.

The Seven Pines project area after prescribed burning.
The treatment area after the prescribed fire.

Project Description

The Seven Pines area of the Inyo National Forest, Mount Whitney Ranger District, is located west of the community of Independence, California, and includes 15 recreation residences that are on a Special Use permit. Vegetation in the Seven Pines area consists of sagebrush, bitter brush, rabbit brush, oaks, and Jeffery Pine. This project is designed to reduce the unnatural heavy accumulation of vegetation created by a century of fire suppression. The project will increase the efficiency of firefighter’s efforts and reduce the risks to fighters, the public, and the surrounding natural resources from wildfire. Further, the project will protect a watershed running through the project area that supplies water to the town of Independence and Los Angeles.

The techniques used to reduce hazardous fuels in this project varied from mechanically removing vegetation to the use of prescribed fire. The results will provide defensible space to the 15 cabins in the area and protection of the watershed should a wildland fire occur.

The Seven Pines Prescribed Fire project started in 2004 and is scheduled to continue through 2009 with various treatments. The project will then be in a monitoring and maintenance status. Several Inyo National Forest Fire personnel have participated in different phases of the project including the handcrew, engines, prevention and the helitack crew.

Accomplishments to Date

Two hundred and fifty of 1,250 total acres have been treated to date. Currently, 240 more acres are prepared for treatment for the spring of 2008.

During the Inyo Fire Complex in 2007, the Seven Fire experienced rapid wind driven downhill fire spread from below Onion Valley Campground toward the Seven Pines Tract. When the fire jumped Onion Valley road and approached the Summer Tract from the north, it ran into one of the Seven Pines Prescribed Fire burn Units which was burned in February, 2007. At that point, the fire had no fuel to sustain itself, the winds shifted and the fire headed north, away from the homes. The fire was effectively stopped due to the prescribed fire efforts and the 15 cabins were saved. There were a few spot fires within the Tract boundaries; however, firefighters were able to extinguish quickly the spots. The treated area provided adequate safety zones for the firefighters to utilize.

This project is an example of the Forest Service identifying a problematic area and modifying the unnatural build-up of fuels to change the fire behavior. Individual recreation residence permit holders can take the initiative to identify problem areas and work with their local Forest Service Permit Administrators and Fire Management Department to protect their investment. Working together is a positive step for both the residences and the Forest Service.

Contact: Robert Bertolina, Division Chief, Inyo National Forest at (760) 924-5514.