Over the next couple of weeks, the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department will be conducting some wildland firefighting training with its members in several neighborhoods in town.
Exercises of this nature are invaluable when it comes to pre-planning the tactics and strategies of fighting a moving wildfire front in a community such as Mammoth Lakes. The Department does not want to alarm anyone and wants to get the word out that these exercises are going to take place.
The exercises will occur in the Juniper Ridge, Lower Majestic Pines neighborhood, the area between Snowcreek Crest and Snowcreek 1, 2, and 3, and in the entire Old Mammoth area west of Waterford and Ski Trail.
The training activities will occur on March 19 and 26 in the evenings from approximately 7pm to 9pm and will involve numerous pieces of equipment and personnel. In some cases hoselines will be deployed between homes and minimal amounts of water flowed. Also, to simulate spot fires, colored “Cyalume” light sticks will be placed and retrieved during the training. Areas selected will be locations that will have little or no vegetative impacts. Different techniques will be practiced that allow a crew to train in the tactical actions used to defend structures in the Wildland/Urban Interface.
If you would like more information on this or any other fire related matters, please feel free to contact the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department at (760) 934-2300.
I’ll put my dog inside the house, even though he’d rather be outside barking at them.
I opine that Mammoth’s next big fire will occuralong the road from Minaret Summit to Agnew Meadows. I’ve ridden my mountain bike down the Starjweather Trail and am astounded at the massive amounts of downed trees and limbs. It’s very steep terrain and a strong uphill wind would send a… Read more »
Well, let us hope that never happens. Perhaps, in the near future, the Forest Service will have a fuel reduction program in place, for that location. We all value our trees, but I think something should be done soon.
wagonrd, that scenario was on my mind quite often when I drove the Reds Meadow road during the time I worked for the U.S. Forest Service on the Mammoth Ranger District, Inyo National Forest from 1988-1999. I was the frontcounty recreation field supervisor and I gave thought to this type… Read more »
Thank you for the informative post Mr. Richter
My post is long, but this is not a soundbite issue. When I mentioned that trees need to be removed close to homes and business structures I’m referring to trees within 30-50 feet and even touching structures. These may be aesthetically pleasing, but might as well be fuses laid out… Read more »
interesting comments Fred. When you talk about trees touching structures, I think of Mammoth Lakes, where the town would not let trees be cut down, even to the point of having decks built around trees or sometimes a cut out in the roof eves to let a tree stay in… Read more »