Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
Treasure Wildfire
Date: September 10, 2010
Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
Location Information
Region: 05
Forest: Tahoe
District:
Sierraville
Projects: Pearl DFPZ
and Highway 89
Corridor Project
Wildfire Information (consistent with 5100-29)
Fire Number: TNF-072
Fire Name: Treasure
Date of Fire Start mm/dd/yr: 09/10/2001
Final Fire Size (acres): 280.3
Date When Fire Entered Treatment: 09/10/2001
Treated Area Burned (acres): 108
Date Fire Contained: 09/14/2001
Fuel Treatment Information and Background:
The Highway 89 Corridor project was planned as part of the 1995 Forest Health Pilot
Project to demonstrate some of the concepts envisioned by the Quincy Library Group.
The Pearl Timber Sale was a Commercial Thinning project completed under the
Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group as part of the Defensible Fuel Profile Zone
network.
Pre-Treatment Condition
Pearl Timber Sale Area - The absence of frequent low-intensity fire that is
characteristic of the mixed conifer forest type allowed shade-tolerant white fir and
incense cedar to become well established, and the number of trees likely exceeded
400 per acre and caused a closed canopy condition. Stem exclusion was common
which created a heavy dead and downed component to the stand. This created an
understory “fire ladder” and surface fuel loading conditions that would readily carry
ground fire to the tree crowns. The drought of the late 1980’s and 1990’s in
combination with fir engraver beetles caused many of the white fir to die. The dead
fir trees created an excessive fuel load.
Hwy 89 Corridor Area – this site was south facing and was occupied by small diameter
(6 – 16 inch average diameter) Jeffrey Pine with an understory dominated by
Greenleaf Manzanita 3 – 4 feet tall.
Post-treatment Condition
Pearl Timber Sale Area - Trees removed were live trees that contributed to the canopy
closure and the fuel ladder. However, follow-up surface fuel treatments had not yet
occurred and surface fuel loading was estimated to be approximately 40 – 60 tons per
acre.
Treasure Fire, Region 5, Tahoe National Forest
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Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
Hwy 89 Corridor Area – small diameter ponderosa pine health was improved by giving
additional growing space. Small diameter surface fuels and removal trees were cut,
piled and burned. Surface fuels and ladder fuels were reduced creating a quality
defensible fuel profile zone.
Treasure Fire, Region 5, Tahoe National Forest
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Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
Treatment Type and Acres
FACTS ID
Project Unit Number
0517567250062000
0517567251019000
0517567251018000
0517567251017000
Project Name – Treatment Type –
Total Size
Date
Implemented
Acres Overlap
with Fire
2001
10.4 acres
2001
77.1 acres
2001
12.2 acres
1996 and
1997
10.4 acres
Pearl Timber Sale Unit 18–
Commercial Thinning – 111 acres
Pearl Timber Sale Unit 9–
Commercial Thinning – 79 acres
Pearl Timber Sale Unit 8–
Commercial Thinning – 119 acres
Highway 89 Corridor Handwork
Thinning – 225 acres
Pearl Timber Sale:
This project was completed as part of the Treasure Environmental Assessment and
included both Commercial Thinning and Precommercial Thinning prescriptions to
reduce competition between remaining trees, open the canopy and remove ladder
fuels.
Highway 89 Corridor Handwork Thinning Prescription:
The purpose of this project is to lower the overall fire hazard by reducing
accumulations of surface and ladder fuels. Hand crews chainsaw thinned
approximately 225 acres. Slash produced by thinning operations were piled and
burned or chipped on site.
Narrative of Fire Interaction with Fuel Treatment
The fire started on the upper edge of Pearl Timber Sale unit 18. The cutting of
sawtimber (commercial thinning) and smaller (precommercial thinning) trees was
mostly completed. The fire burned upslope into adjacent densely stocked untreated
area outside of sale and spotted downslope into recently treated Pearl Timber Sale
units #8 and #9 due to NE wind direction. Treated areas (thinned) that burned also had
considerable pre-existing untreated ground fuels in addition to some remaining trees
cut but not skidded. Additional spot fires started on private property to the north and
also across Cold Stream both above and below Hwy 89. Private property (Milt
Holstrom) is managed timber land (thinning/salvage/ burning of piled slash). Area
along Cold Stream and Hwy 89 had Force Account fuels reduction treatment in
1996/97.
The Pearl Timber Sale area had a more open canopy, which allowed air tankers to
drop retardant onto the fire in the evening of Sept 10. However, on September 11
after the attack on the Twin Towers in New York, all air traffic was grounded and no
additional tanker support was possible. The heavy surface fuels burned intensely on
September 10 and killed all standing trees and sent many embers into the smoke
column which created many spot fires to the NE. The Pearl Timber Sale area likely
had little beneficial effect on controlling the Treasure Fire. Fire fighting resources
were available and heavily used. Resources committed to the fire fighting effort
Treasure Fire, Region 5, Tahoe National Forest
3
Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
included 28 hand crews, 3 helicopters, 6 air tankers, 11 engines, 58 overhead, 22
dozers and 14 water tenders.
The chainsaw thin, pile and burn treatment along the Hwy 89 Corridor project
removed surface and ladder fuels. This reduced flame length and rate of spread which
allowed fire fighting resources the ability to use the DFPZ as a safe anchor point during
fire fighting efforts. Tree survival was noticeably higher in the treated area versus
untreated areas (see photos below).
Conditions When Fire Entered Pearl Timber Sale Treatment
Date and Source of Observations: 9/10/2001 approximately 1800 hours.
Data from Stampede RAWS Station
ERC (value and percentile): Not
available
Windspeed and Direction: 8 mph from
SW
Temperature: 80 F
RH: 19%
Fuel Model Inside Treated Area: 10
Fuel Model Outside Treated Area: 10
Flame Length Inside Treated Area: Not
available
Flame Length Outside Treatment: Not
available
Fuel Moistures
1 hr: Not available
10 hr: 5%
100 hr: Not
Available
Live Fuel Moisture: Not available
1 hr: Not available
Measured or Estimated? Not available
Conditions When Fire Entered Hwy 89 Corridor Treatment
Date and Source of Observations: 9/10/2001 approximately 1800 hours.
Data from Stampede RAWS Station
ERC (value and percentile):
available
Not
Windspeed and Direction: 8 mph from
SW
Temperature: 80 F
RH: 19%
Fuel Model Inside Treated Area: 9
Fuel Model Outside Treated Area: 5
Flame Length Inside Treated Area: 0-2
Flame Length Outside Treatment: 2-4
Fuel Moistures
1 hr: Not available
10 hr: 5%
Live Fuel Moisture: Not available
Treasure Fire, Region 5, Tahoe National Forest
100 hr: Not
Available
1000 hr: Not
available
Measured or Estimated? Not available
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Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
Photos
Pearl Timber Sale unit is
in foreground near timber
sale landing area and
densely stocked untreated
forest is in background.
Both areas burned as high
intensity stand replacing
wildfire events.
Photo 9/12/2001
Pearl Timber Sale unit after
tree removal but before any
surface fuels treated. This is
the condition the units were in
during the Treasure Fire.
Surface fuels are estimated at
60 tons per acre using the
Photo Series for Quantifying
Forest Residues in the Sierra
Mixed Conifer Type, PNW95, pages 34-35. Photo
9/12/2001.
View of Treasure Fire and Pearl Timber Sale
Unit 9, after Salvage Sale removed all of the
dead trees. The photo illustrates the complete
stand mortality in much of the fire. The
immediate foreground burned below Hwy 89
as a spot fire and the scattered pines in this
photo were killed in the fire and then contour
felled for erosion control above Cold Stream.
The forested area in the middle ground
includes the unburned riparian zone of Cold
Stream as well as some lower slope, low
intensity fire.
Photo: August 30, 2010
Treasure Fire, Region 5, Tahoe National Forest
5
Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
This photo shows the Hwy 89
Corridor Chainsaw Thin, Pile
and Burn project 9 years after
the Treasure Fire burned
through the stand. The stand
survived the fire and the
retained trees are healthy. The
DFPZ was used as a safe anchor
point for fire fighting forces
during the suppression effort.
Photo 8/30/2010.
This photo shows the untreated
landscape immediately downhill
of the Hwy 89 Corridor project
area 9 years after the Treasure
Fire burned through the stand.
The stand was killed by the fire
and the dead trees were cut
down and contour felled for
erosion control on the burned
landscape.
Photo 8/30/2010.
Photo taken on the ridge above
the Hwy 89 Corridor Project
and within the Treasure Fire
area. This site was untreated
and a portion of the trees were
killed during the Treasure Fire.
The site appears to have had
fewer trees as compared to the
treated areas illustrated in the
photo above based on the
number of stumps found.
Photo 8/30/2010.
Treasure Fire, Region 5, Tahoe National Forest
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Fuel Treatment Effectiveness
Photo taken on the ridge above
the Hwy 89 Corridor Project
and outside the Treasure Fire
Area. This is approximately
what the untreated ridge would
have looked like prior to the
Treasure Fire. Manzanita
skeletons within the fire area
were similar in size to these 3
foot tall shrubs.
Photo 8/30/2010.
Additional Documentation
Recommend Additional Documentation? No
Name and Title of Person Completing the Report
Colin Dillingham
Monitoring Team Leader
Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group Implementation Team
Ruby Burks
Fuels Officer
Sierraville Ranger District, Tahoe National Forest
Bruce Troedson
Timber Management Officer
Sierraville Ranger District, Tahoe National Forest
Robert Haug
Fire Prevention Technician
Sierraville Ranger District, Tahoe National Forest
Tuija Suihkonen
GIS Specialist, HFQLG Implementation Team
Contact
Information
E-mail cdillingham@fs.fed.us
rburks@fs.fed.us
btroedson@fs.fed.us
Treasure Fire, Region 5, Tahoe National Forest
Telephone
530-283-7881 (Dillingham)
530-994-3401
(Burks/Troedson/Haug)
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