2015 Six Rivers Post-Fire BAER (Burned Area Emergency Response)

Northern California Burned Areas Begin Recovery Journey REDDING, California – Many forests depend on periodic fires to maintain healthy ecosystems. In these fire adapted areas, fire promotes plant diversity and burns away accumulations of live and dead plant material such as pine needles, leaves, branches, and smaller understory trees. The 240 wildfires currently burning in Northern California that resulted from the July 30-31 lightning event are a reminder that Mother Nature continues to play a major role in forest ecosystems. As of August 26, the total acreage of Northern California federal lands burned from that lightning event has reached 205,951 acres. Aggressive fire suppression containment efforts by firefighters are gaining ground and recovery efforts are already underway in some areas. Natural processes also play a major role in forest recovery after a wildfire. However, there are certain actions to protect California watersheds that can be taken immediately to speed the…