The Plumas National Forest points out that a dry cold front moving into the area, gusty winds and another human-caused wildfire Thursday means firefighters are asking area residents and visitors to help prevent wildfires.
Early Thursday afternoon June 19, firefighters responded to the Stampfli Fire in Indian Valley. Structures were threatened. The fire was human caused and is under investigation.
By midafternoon the fire was contained at 6.3 acres due to a fast response and hard work by PNF and cooperating agency firefighting resources, said PNF. This included multiple engines, a water tender, a hotshot crew, a dozer, a helicopter, two air tankers, air attack a fire investigator from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Lassen Modoc Unit and several support positions.
In addition to PNF, firefighting resources included Indian Valley Volunteer Fire Department, the Greenville Rancheria engine and nonfederal cover resources brought in by PNF. Mop-up was already underway by Thursday evening.
“I want to thank everyone that was part of the robust response to the Stampfli Fire this afternoon, making sure the fire was quickly contained and that no homes were lost,” said PNF Fire Management Officer Martin Senter.
The fire was burning in oak and grass woodland with reported wind gusts over 30 mph.
“The Stampfli Fire could have been much worse, especially driven by the strong, gusty winds that started in the area this morning,” Senter said. “The weather today and through the weekend includes a red flag warning on the eastern edge of the forest, a fire weather watch near the western side of the forest and strong wind gusts predicted in between, so it’s critical to use caution with anything that can start a fire.”
Since 2021, fire seasons on the Plumas National Forest have started relatively late and fires have been kept small, with last summer’s 3,000-acre Gold Complex being the largest fire on the forest since the 2021 Dixie Fire.
An average snowpack this winter melted quickly this spring. This has resulted in drier conditions, but also thicker grass and brush growth, said PNF. As they dry out, these fine fuels can carry fire quickly.
“We aren’t meeting the scientific thresholds to go into fire restrictions yet, but we are close,” Senter said. “The fires we have been responding to are what we usually see in July, not mid-June.”
Additionally, after several years, the large wildfire burn scars are increasingly at risk of reburning.
“As was the case with the Letter Fire last week in the 2020 North Complex burn scar, it’s more difficult and extremely hazardous to fight fires in burned areas,” Senter said. “It takes longer to contain and control fires in these areas due to standing dead trees, dense fuels on the ground and potential of rolling materials including logs and rocks creating dangerous conditions for firefighters.”
Although PNF projects focusing on community protection and postfire forest recovery are underway, the focus for wildland firefighters is full suppression and public and firefighter safety, said PNF.
“This isn’t the time for our local residents and forest visitors to get complacent with fire,” Senter said. “While our firefighters and partners have done a great job keeping fires small for the past several years, with how the past couple months have gone, I am concerned about what is ahead of us in July, August and September.”
Area residents and visitors should be careful with anything that can spark a wildfire and report suspected wildfires to 911.
More information on the Plumas National Forest is available at www.fs.usda.gov/plumas and www.facebook.com/USFSPlumas.