Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
Date: 4 Oct 2010
Butte Wildfire
Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
Location Information
Region: 5
Forest: Lassen
District: Hat Creek
Unit:
Wildfire Information (consistent with 5100-29)
Fire Number: LNF-3841
Fire Name: Butte Fire (Hat Creek
Complex)
Date of Fire Start mm/dd/yr: 08/01/09
Final Fire Size (acres): 49
Date When Fire Entered Treatment: 08/02/09
Treated Area Burned (acres): spots
(roughly 25 sq ft)
Date Fire Contained: 08/02/09
Fuel Treatment Information and Background:
The Boothill Thin treated area is outside the main burned perimeter across
and to the east of road 34N11. A portion of the treated area was treated
with mechanical thinning prior to follow-up underburns. This area was
underburned in 1999 and again in either 2004 or 2005. The second burn
was hotter than intended.
Treatment Type and Acres
Total
Size
Underburn Completed 1999
Underburn Completed 2004/05
~211 acres
211 acres
211 acres
Narrative of Fire Interaction with Fuel Treatment
The Butte Fire was a lightning caused fire that started on the flats of the Hat Creek Rim at
approximately 2100 on August 1, 2009. The fire was first managed by local initial attack
resources as a Type 4 Incident who were able to place the fire into a “contained” status
within the first operational period. The Butte Fire was later transitioned into the Hat
Creek Complex which was supervised by Molhoek’s Type II Incident Management Team
(IMT).
Butte Fire, Region 5, Lassen National Forest
1
Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
Due to an abundance of fire activity on the forest, minimal resources were available in
the suppression effort of the Butte Fire. Initial attack of the fire was on August 2, 2009 at
1330 and included a 10 person module from Redding IHC, three Type 3 Forest Service
Engines, one water tender (3000 gal.), one agency dozer, one contract dozer, and one
Battalion Chief.
Initial size-up by the Butte Incident Commander trainee (ICt) was ½ acre in size with
active rate of spread in a fuel model most closely resembling an NFFL Fuel Model 6
(Shrub group). Weather observations at this time, according to the Ladder Butte RAWS
Station were as follows:





Time: 1300
Temperature: 76
Relative Humidity: 40%
Wind Speed: 7 mph, WNW, gusts to 12 mph
10 Hour Fuel Moisture: 10 grams
Redding IHC anchored into the fire and began direct line construction along its western
flank. As the fire progressed uphill (10% slope) the fuels carrying it began to change
from an NFFL Fuel Model 6 (Shrub group) to an NFFL Fuel Model 10 (Timber group).
Isolated torching quickly ensued followed by short duration crown runs. With handline
construction no longer a viable tactic as flame lengths neared 6 feet, dozers were
positioned on both the east and west flanks of the fire and told to construct line uphill
with Redding IHC firing off their line from behind.
With the current strategy and tactics being compromised by the increased fire behavior,
the Butte IC and IC(t) began to scout ahead of the fire for geographic locations to hold it.
With winds out of the WNW gusting to 19 mph at 1500 hrs, the fire began to make a
rapid push towards the Southeast and Forest Road 34N11. It was here that a fuels
treatment project was identified on the Southeast side of the 34N11 road (later
investigation revealed this unit was underburned in 1999 and 2004) which would enable
suppression resources to safely attempt to hold the road. The treated unit could be
classified as Low Load Compact Conifer Litter, characterized by light to moderate
loading of fuels 1 to 2 inches deep (1.0 tons/acre). This would be our last chance of
catching the Butte Fire in a single operational period.
By 1800 fire behavior had become more volatile with increasing wind gusts up to 22
mph. Air tankers had helped ground resources on the east and west flanks with multiple
retardant drops earlier in the afternoon and the addition of the three Type 3 Engines to the
east flank provided additional support. With the fire quickly advancing on the 34N11
road, Redding IHC was utilized in a firing operation between the main body of the fire
and the 34N11 road, thereby depriving the fire of additional fuel.
Butte Fire, Region 5, Lassen National Forest
2
Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
The fires lateral advancement was efficiently brought to a standstill but vertical
convection and high winds aloft showered the fuels treatment project to the southeast
with a barrage of fire brands for well over 90 minutes. With the east and west flanks
completed and holding, the three Type 3 Engines were utilized in holding the 34N11 road
and patrolling the fuels treatment project for spot fires. It is estimated that over 30
smoking embers were located within the treated unit but having minimal surface fuels for
transport were quickly extinguished. Air Attack was able to identify a 5’ x 5’ spot fire
over ¼ mile to the southeast burning within the treated unit, but again, without the aid of
surface fuels for transport we were able to quickly suppress it.
This was a large scale lightning event which showered the Lassen National Forest in new
starts. The Hat Creek Ranger District alone had detected over 37 new starts, the Butte
Fire included. Resources on the forest had been depleted, communications limited at best,
logistics overburdened, and structures threatened throughout the complex. Fire Managers
on the forest needed the Butte Fire contained and its resources made available to new
fires.
The safe and successful suppression of the Butte Fire can be linked directly to the efforts
of the resources involved as well as having a fuels treatment project within the vicinity.
The treated unit provided ground resources with a safe opportunity to reengage the fire
and halt its forward progress. Spot fires within the treated unit had little hope of gaining
momentum and were quickly suppressed. Had there not been a treated unit to the
southeast of the 34N11 road it most certainly would have escaped our initial attack
efforts.
The Butte Fire was contained at 49 acres within the first operational period. All initial
attack resources were released back to the district dispatch and reassigned to more critical
assignments prior to the end of shift.
Conditions When Fire Entered Treatment
Date and Source of Observations: 1300 on 01 Aug 2009 Ladder Butte RAWS
(WIMS data obtained from LNF dispatch)
ERC (value and percentile): 75 (no
percentile available)
Windspeed and Direction:9 mph @ 264
degrees
Temperature: 83 F
RH: 21%
Fuel Model Inside Treated Area: 9/1
Fuel Model Outside Treated Area: 6/10
Flame Length Inside Treated Area: 0-2
Flame Length Outside Treatment: 4-6
Fuel Moistures
1 hr: 5%
10 hr:
Live Fuel Moisture: 5%
Butte Fire, Region 5, Lassen National Forest
6%
100 hr: 6%
1000 hr: 7%
Measured or Estimated? 10 hr value was
measured, others calculated
3
Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
Butte Fire, Region 5, Lassen National Forest
4
Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
Photos
Butte Fire Column as fire approached fuel treatment area.
Additional Documentation
Recommend Additional Documentation? Yes_____No_x__
Name and Title of Person Completing the Report
Narrative by Michael Wintch
Engine 16 FEO
Plumas National Forest
Redding IHC Crewmember 2009
Butte IC(t)
Map from Robert Holt
Redding IHC Supervisor
6101 Airport Road
Redding, CA 96002
Contact
Information
E-mail mikewintch@fs.fed.us
Telephone
rjholt@fs.fed.us
(530) 836-7174 (Wintch)
(530) 226-2722 (Holt)
Butte Fire, Region 5, Lassen National Forest
5