Letter and news release

Mammoth Knolls Resident,

Fire Crews of the Mammoth Ranger District, on the Inyo National Forest, are in cooperation with the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department in order to take advantage of recent and forecasted winter weather conditions this week to complete Prescribed Burn Piles near the Mammoth Knolls neighborhood. This area is located north and south of Hwy 203 and north along the Scenic Loop Drive.  These piles were constructed in 2014 as part of a thinning and fuels reduction project to provide defensible space for the Knolls community in the Town of Mammoth Lakes and adjacent areas.

The unit consists of 88 acres of hand and machine piles. Crews plan to begin ignitions in the morning, starting Thursday March 1st and continuing through Friday March 2nd.  Fire and smoke will be visible throughout operations, tapering off by Friday evening.  Residual smoke and pile consumption/burn down will be present over the weekend, however smoke production will continue to decrease as the material consumes and additional expected precipitation is received.

Fire Personnel will remain on scene during day time hours of the burn and the burn down period. After ignitions and the subsequent burn down period, all ignited piles will be secured to ensure the utmost control of the burn. Existing snow will be the primary containment strategy for securing the piles, and the unit will be frequently patrolled to ensure that the piles are kept in check. Personnel may be seen ‘bone piling’ (condensing piles to increase/speed up consumption) or conducting mop-up (extinguishment) operations if necessary to meet a multitude of objectives.

Thank you for your patience and continued support as we take advantage of the ideal weather window to reduce hazardous fuels and lessen the potential wildfire impacts to the community.

Questions, please contact:

Owens Valley Interagency Communications Center @ 760-873-2488

Or

Mammoth District Fire Management @ 760-924-5556.

Jeff Hinson

Mammoth R.D. FM:

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The Mammoth and Mono Lake Ranger Districts of the Inyo National Forest will be completing prescribed burn piles over the next several days. As long as weather and air quality conditions allow, piles will be ignited in the June Lake and Mammoth Knolls area starting Wednesday February 28ththrough Saturday March 3rd.

There are four locations targeted in the June Lake Loop: Silver Lake area, June Lake area, the Clark Tract, and North Shore drive for a total of 147 acres. Work will begin Wednesday and possibly continue through Saturday. These piles are part of a project aiming to reduce fuel loading near the communities of June Lake in order to create a healthier forest and a safer environment for firefighters in the event of a wildfire. Smoke from these projects will be seen from Highway 395, the community of June Lake, and June Mountain Ski Area.

The Mammoth Knolls project will target piles located North and South of Highway 203 and North of the Scenic loop for a total of 88 acres. Crews will begin work on this project starting Thursday March 1st and continue into Friday March 2nd. Smoke will be seen from Highway 395, Highway 203, the Town of Mammoth Lakes, and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. These piles were constructed as part of a thinning and fuels reduction project to provide defensible space for the Knolls community in the Town of Mammoth Lakes and adjacent areas.

The Inyo National Forest works closely with the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District to select days that will provide good smoke dispersal.

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