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The first task of the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team is to create a Soil Burned Severity (SBS) map that will be the basis for the Team's hydrologic analysis to determine impacts to Forest Service critical values. The SBS is the basis for potentail debris flow modeling as well. THis video explains the procss the scitnist suse to validate soil burn severity across the Blue 2 Fire.
The Soil Burn Severity Map for the Blue 2 Fire.
Recovery after wildfires is a cooperative effort by many cooperating government entities. The QR code below contains helpful links of the parties involved in Post-Wildfire Recovery and where you can find more information.
- Inciweb Blue 2 Post Fire BAER information
- Lincoln National Forest
- Natural Resource Conservation District Emergency Watershed Protection Program
- National Weather Service-flood alerts and warning on Burn Scar Matrix link
- City of Alamogordo for status on Bonito Lake Reservoir
- Lincoln County Post-Fire Recovery
- Upper Hondo Soil and Water Conservation District for technical assistance
- New Mexico Division of Forestry for Seedling Reforestation
- New Mexico Division of Forestry for Fire Prevention
- Village of Ruidoso Emergency Management
CONDITIONS/UPDATES FOR BLUE 2 POST-FIRE AREA
June 19 2024
The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a
* Flash Flood Warning for... Southeastern Lincoln County in central New Mexico... *
Until 1115 PM MDT Wednesday.
* At 511 PM MDT, emergency management reported flash flooding in Rio Hondo. Between 2 and 3 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts up to 0.25 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is already occurring. FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY for Rio Hondo.
This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW! HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Heavy rain producing flash flooding. SOURCE...Emergency management reported that swift water rescues are ongoing near Hollywood and along US Highway 70. IMPACT...This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW! Life threatening flash flooding of low water crossings, small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, San Patricio, Hondo, Tinnie, Glencoe, Sunset and Hollywood. This includes Highway 380 near Mile Marker 105...and near Mile Marker 107.
| Current as of | Wed, 06/19/2024 - 19:19 |
|---|---|
| Incident Time Zone | America/Denver |
| Incident Type | Burned Area Emergency Response |
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | |
| Location | White Mountain Wilderness Area, Lincoln National Forest, approximately 8 miles North of Ruidoso |
| Incident Commander | Terry Hardy BAER Team Leader; Edgar Martinez BAER Team Leader Trainee-US Forest Service |
| Incident Description | Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Limitations While many wildfires cause minimal damage to the land and pose few threats to the land or people downstream, some fires result in damage that requires special efforts to reduce impacts afterwards. Loss of vegetation exposes soil to erosion; water run-off may increase and cause flooding, soil and rock may move downstream and damage property or fill reservoirs putting community water supplies and endangered species at-risk. The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program is designed to identify and manage potential risks to resources on National Forest System lands and reduce these threats through appropriate emergency measures to protect human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources. BAER is an emergency program for stabilization work that involves time-critical activities to be completed before the first damaging storm event to meet program objectives. The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program is designed to identify and manage potential risks to resources on National Forest System lands and reduce these threats through appropriate emergency BAER Objectives: Determine whether imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands exist and take immediate actions, as appropriate, to manage the unacceptable risks. If emergency conditions are identified, mitigate significant threats to human life and safety, Forest Service property and other critical natural and cultural resource values. Prescribe emergency response actions to stabilize and prevent unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural resources, to minimize threats to life or property resulting from the effects of a fire, or to repair/replace/construct physical improvements necessary to prevent degradation of land or resources. Implement emergency response actions to help stabilize soil; control water, sediment and debris movement and potentially reduce threats to the BAER critical values identified above when an analysis shows that planned actions are likely to reduce risks substantially within the first year following containment of the fire. Monitor the implementation and effectiveness of emergency treatments that were applied on National Forest System lands. BAER Interagency Coordination: Post-fire emergency response is a shared responsibility. There are several Federal, State and local agencies that have emergency response responsibilities or authorities in the post-fire environment. The BAER team coordinates with these agencies to look at the full scope and scale of the situation to reduce the potential threats to human life and property. It is important that BAER efforts are communicated with all affected and interested cooperating agencies and organizations regarding other post-fire recovery and restoration efforts. BAER treatments cannot prevent all of the potential flooding or soil erosion impacts, especially after a wildfire-changed landscape. It is important for the public to stay informed and prepared for potentially dramatic increased run-off events. One of the most effective BAER strategies is interagency coordination to provide post-fire threat information to local cooperators who can assist affected businesses, homes, and landowners to prepare for rain events. For example, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program for post-emergency assistance on private and tribal land, the National Weather Service (NWS) has responsibility for flood warning alerts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has flood insurance and other responsibilities if the area is a Presidentially-declared emergency, Resource Conservation Districts (RCD) and counties, as well as State and local-highway and emergency services departments, Flood Control authorities, etc. It is important that landowners work directly with NRCS and other agencies to determine appropriate actions needed to protect private structures and other assets. BAER Process: BAER assessment teams are staffed by specially trained professionals that may include: hydrologists, soil scientists, engineers, biologists, botanists, archeologists, and others who evaluate the burned area and prescribe temporary emergency stabilization actions on National Forest System lands to protect the land quickly and effectively. BAER assessments usually begin before a wildfire has been fully contained. A BAER assessment team conducts field surveys and uses science-based models to rapidly evaluate and assess the burned area and prescribe emergency stabilization measures. The team generates a “Soil Burn Severity” map by using satellite imagery which is then validated and adjusted by BAER team field surveys to assess watershed conditions and model potential watershed response from the wildfire. The map identifies areas of soil burn severity by categories of very low/unburned, low, moderate, and high which may correspond to a projected increase in watershed response. The higher the burn severity, the less the soil will be able to absorb water when it rains. Without absorption, there will be increased run-off with the potential of flooding. The BAER team presents these findings in an assessment report that identifies immediate and emergency actions needed to address post-fire risks to human life and safety, property, cultural and critical natural resources. This includes early detection and rapid response (EDRR) treatments to prevent the spread of noxious weeds into native plant communities. The BAER report describes watershed pre- and post-fire watershed response information, areas of concern for life and property, and recommended short-term emergency stabilization measures for Forest Service lands that burned. In most cases, only a portion of the burned area is actually treated. Severely burned areas steep slopes, and places where water run-off will be excessive and may impact important resources, are focus areas and described in the BAER assessment report if they affect critical values. Response action timing is essential to ensure the emergency stabilization measures are effective. There are a variety of emergency stabilization actions that the BAER team can recommend for Forest Service land such as mulching with agricultural straw or chipped wood to protect soil productivity, increasing road drainage to keep roads and bridges from washing-out during post-fire floods, and early detection rapid response invasive plant treatments to prevent spread of weeds into native plant communities. BAER treatments are preventative in nature but cannot prevent all damage, especially debris torrents in areas that are prone to sliding and have lost critical root structure from plants. The Cans and Cannots of BAER: What BAER Can Do: Install water or erosion control devices Seed or mulch for erosion control or stability reasons Install erosion control measures at critical cultural sites Install temporary barriers to protect treated or recovering areas Install warning signs Replace minor safety related facilities, like burned guard rails Install appropriate-sized drainage features on roads, trails Remove critical safety hazards Prevent permanent loss of T&E habitat Monitor BAER treatments Implement treatments to minimize the spread of noxious weeds into native plant communities What BAER Cannot Do: Propose treatments off of Forest Service lands Prevent all flooding and debris flows Replant commercial forests or grass for forage Excavate and interpret cultural sites Replace burned pasture fences Install interpretive signs Replace burned buildings, bridges, corrals, etc. Repair roads damaged by floods after fire Remove all hazard trees Replace burned habitat Monitor fire effects Treat pre-existing noxious weeds BAER Funding: Special Emergency Wildfire Suppression funds are authorized for BAER activities and the amount of these expenses varies with the severity of the fire season. Some years see little BAER activity while other years are extremely busy. Because of the emergency nature of BAER, initial requests for funding of proposed BAER treatments are supposed to be submitted by the Forest Supervisor to the Regional Office within7 days of total containment of the fire. The Regional Forester’s approval authority for individual BAER projects is limited. Approval for BAER projects exceeding this limit is forwarded onto the Washington Office. |
| Coordinates |
33° 26' 41'' Latitude
-105° 43' 59
'' Longitude
|
| Total Personnel: | 12 |
|---|---|
| Size | 7,532 Acres |
| Percent of Perimeter Contained | 92% |
| Fuels Involved | The fire is currently burning entirely within the 2012 Little Bear footprint. Fuels are primarily grass, with scattered shrubs and standing and fallen snags. Pockets of intact conifer timber with litter are present. Live fuel moisture in live grass and shrubs remain high, and are generally not contributing to fire spread. Heavy dead fuels are the primary carrier and are very receptive at 5-9% fuel moisture. |
| Significant Events | BAER team completed assessments of hydrologic response and soil erosion and USGS completed debris flow probability assessment. BAER Team completed analysis of BAER Critical Values on Forest Service lands, including South Fork Campground, roads and trails. BAER Team completed draft funding request and treatment recommendations. |
| Planned Actions |
Finalizing the BAER funding request and BAER implementation will be undertaken by the Lincoln Ntional Forest. |
|---|---|
| Projected Incident Activity |
BAER Team will present findings to The Lincoln National Forest today and will demobilize at the end of the shift today. |
| Remarks |
BAER team closing out and demobing on Friday June 14. |
| Weather Concerns | Weather is above average heat, with chances of afternoon thunderstorms. Afternoon thunderstorms over the fire area may produce flooding. |
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