Most land is not seriously damaged by fire; good chances of recovery within 5 years

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) -The US Forest Service has released a summary of its findings on the damage caused by the 5,824 Davis Fire that started on September 7.

The report contained generally good news about soil damage and the risk of invasive species replacing native plants.

By the time the time came recorded on September 25, the Davis Fire burned 14 homes, two commercial buildings and 22 outbuildings such as sheds and garages.

“Much of the Davis Fire burned in a mosaic pattern with relatively few severe burns in the ground,” the report said. “This beneficial burn mimics a prescribed fire and results in low tree mortality and undergrowth removal.”

Seventy-one percent of the burned land had low soil burn severity, the Forest Service said. The soil is expected to recover quickly and have low soil erosion. Twenty-four percent of the burned land has the potential for high erosion and runoff and is expected to slow recovery, the Forest Service said.

“The effects on fire area and water flows from these storms are expected to be greatest during the first five years following the fire and will become less noticeable as land cover and vegetation and soil conditions recover,” the Forest said Service report. “This will likely result in clean water within and downstream of the fire area.”

Drought will delay recovery.

“In the short period since fire suppression, resprouting of grasses and shrubs and the emergence of forbs in the burned area have been noted,” the report said.

No Forest Service recreation sites were affected.

“The greatest risk to human health and safety in the burned area is the potential for hazardous tree and rock falls, especially during high winds, heavy rains and winter storms,” the report said. “These events can destabilize trees and rocks, making them more likely to fall and cause injury or damage.”

The report noted these recovery strategies:

Strategies:

Human Life and Safety: Post general warning signs on National Forest System lands in designated areas within or immediately adjacent to the Davis Fire burned area. The signs will include language specifying items to be aware of when entering a fire area, such as falling trees and limbs, rolling rocks and flash flooding. Once hazards have been minimized, the signs will be removed.
Real Estate: Implement stabilization measures on Forest Service roads, including installing road drainage structures, reshaping the road crest, preparing ditches for increased drainage, cleaning culverts, and armoring high-risk drains with critical dips.
Natural Resources: Control invasive plant pests on approximately 158 acres of National Forest System lands in the burned area through early detection surveys to document the spread, and simultaneous manual and chemical treatments with rapid response. This strategy also reduces the economic and ecological impacts of invasive species infestations by controlling infestations when they are small and not yet established.