Six Rivers National Forest Press Release:

Prescribed burning projects will commence this fall on the Six Rivers National Forest, as weather and fuel conditions moderate from the hot and dry conditions of summer. These projects are part of the Forest Service efforts to reduce hazardous fuel accumulations which could contribute to extreme fire behavior should a wildfire occur. Several prescribed fire techniques are planned, including understory burning and handpile burning. These may be conducted when fuel moistures and weather conditions permit.

Prescribed burning is accomplished by following a Prescribed Fire Burn Plan that outlines a set of environmental and logistical conditions to meet specific resource objectives. These environmental factors include fuel moisture, humidity, temperature, wind speed/direction and smoke column dispersal and direction. The Forest Service will be working closely with the National Weather Service in Eureka and the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District.

For more information, contact Forest Fire Chief Mike Minton at (707) 441-3535.

Smith River NRA-Gasquet District

Total: 690 acres

Understory burns:

·         282 acres in the Elk Camp Fuel Break Project located northeast of Gasquet near the North Fork Loop Road

·         105 acres  in the Big Flat Project located near the community of Big Flat

·         3 acres in the Pappas Flat Project located near Gasquet off Forest Service (FS) Road 17N49

·         85 acres in the Coon Mountain Meadow Restoration Project along FS 17N07 (Lower Coon Mountain Road)

Pile burning:

·         15 acres within the Coon Mountain Meadow Restoration Project

·         175 acres within the Big Flat Project

·         25 acres within the Station 3 Project located on FS 17N21 & 17N22 roads off Low Divide Road

Smoke will be visible from the town of Gasquet on Highway 199, South Fork Road, French Hill Road, and Low Divide Road, but should not affect travel on Highway 199 or 197.

Orleans/Ukonom Ranger Districts

Total: 586 acres

Understory burns: 261 acres within the Hazel Vegetation Project located southwest of Orleans.

Pile burning: 325 acres within the Orleans Community Fuels Reduction Project around the town of Orleans.

Smoke will be visible from the town of Orleans and along Highway 96, but will not affect travel routes.

Lower Trinity District

Total: 25 acres

Understory burns: 14 acres within administrative sites including the Salyer Work Center, Greys Falls Campground and the Brush Mountain Lookout. Burning hazardous fuels around administrative sites will help protect the important and valuable Forest Service infrastructures.

Pile burning: 11 acres along the Mill Creek Road, east of Hoopa, as well as on South Fork Road, near Hennessy Ridge Road in Salyer.

Smoke will be visible from Highway 299 or 96 in the Salyer and Willow Creek areas, but will not affect any travel routes.

Mad River Ranger District

Total: 110 acres

Understory burning:

·         20 acres in the Van Duzen Vegetation Management Project area located between the Van Duzen Road and the Mad Ridge Fuelbreak on Mad River Rock Road

Pile burning:

·         25 acres on the Mad Ridge Fuelbreak between Ruth Lake and Hettenshaw Valley

·         50 acres in the Little Gulch Timber Sale area south of Ruth

·         15 acres within administrative sites such as the Mad River, Ruth and Zenia Compounds, and developed campgrounds in the Ruth Lake, Mad River and Zenia area

Smoke may be visible from the communities of Mad River, Hettenshaw Valley, Zenia and Ruth but will not affect any major travel routes.