Location: Departs from SAFE Credit Union Convention Center, North Lobby entrance (J St.)
CFE 2.5 / ISA CEU 2.5/ ESA CEU .68
The 2021 Caldor Fire started in mid-August and was fully contained in late October. In total, the fire burned about 222,000 acres, destroying over 1,000 structures, and causing the evacuation of over 50,000 residents, including the city of South Lake Tahoe. It remains a rare fire in that it started on the west side of the Sierra Nevada mountains and burned over Echo Summit onto the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Post-fire evaluations indicated 53% of the burned area resulted in moderate or high soil burn severity. But in the midst of this wildfire, successes were seen in mitigating fire effects as a result of vegetation management efforts prior to the fire. This tour will explore how work done before the fire affected burn conditions, made evacuations easier, and control possible.
Recommended Clothing/Gear: Close-toed shoes or boots; long pants; sun hat, otherwise dress for expected weather. Walking Conditions: Hard surfaces (paved, boardwalks, concrete), AND rugged surfaces (forest floor, narrow paths, rock) Hike Difficulty Grading: Easy: Suitable for anyone who enjoys walking (under 3 miles, mostly level or with a slight incline) Note: This tour will occur at higher elevations (~ 7000-8000 feet). Please be aware for those that are sensitive to altitudinal changes.
Learning Objectives:
Observe low and high severity fire effects in Sierra Nevada Mountains forest types;
Observe the effects of pre-fire treatments on fire effects and fire suppression effectiveness;
Name the steps used by private and federal landowners to manage the post-fire environment on this large wildfire;
Examine current research on megafires in California and the western US.
