Pile burning to continue this week in Mammoth Lakes
BISHOP, Calif., November 27, 2023 —U.S. Forest Service fire personnel will take a window of opportunity this week to continue burning approximately 125 acres of hand piles along Highway 203 below Minaret Vista and behind the Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge to restore forest health, reduce hazardous fuels and create defensible space for the Town of Mammoth Lakes (the Town).
Ignitions will begin Tuesday, November 28 and may continue until Friday December 1, with firefighters mopping up and patrolling throughout the weekend.
As shown in the attached map, only the units “FH-3” and “FH-4” will be burned this week. These pile burns are a part of the implementation of the “Reds Meadow Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project” Environmental Assessment, which was completed in 2020.
Smoke will be highly visible from the area and expected to drift away from the Town at low wind speeds. In the evenings and mornings, smoke will likely settle down in the lower elevations.
Updates will be released via:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/inyonf
Forest website: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/inyo/
After ignitions are complete, smoke may continue to be visible up to a week while resources continue mopping up. Ignitions are closely coordinated with the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District and National Weather Service meteorologists to ensure desired weather patterns and smoke dispersal. For more information visit: fire.airnow.gov
Additional prescribed burn units may be targeted as weather patterns allow into the coming weeks and months. More information will be provided on those projects as it becomes available.
