What Happens After The Fire Is Contained:
Incident: Basin Complex Wildfire
Released: 7/19/2008
Basin Fire
What Happens After the Fire is Contained:
Fire Suppression Repair Work
Once it is determined that it is safe for firefighters to reenter the fire area, the "fire suppression repair" phase begins. The repair phase of the Basin Complex Fire has begun on federal, state and private lands in the Big Sur area. The work is well within the containment perimeter of the Basin Fire along Highway 1.
Repair work is done in order to minimize damage to the landscape caused as a direct result of fire suppression measures. Areas to be treated include helispots, safety zones, and firelines constructed inside the fire perimeter. Repairs to private property will include replacement of gates and fencing damaged during fire suppression activity.
The purpose of the repair phase is to:
- minimize surface and gully erosion;
- minimize sediment delivery into stream channels;
- minimize visual impacts;
- return terrain to its pre-suppression condition as much as possible;
- prevent recreation trails and trespass issues as a result of adjacent fire line construction; and
- restore areas of the wilderness impacted by mechanical and human activities to hasten the restoration of wilderness values.
Repair measures will include:
- Building water bars to divert water into the surrounding vegetation.
- Dragging downed vegetation back into the cleared areas
- Leveling berms created by machinery in order to minimize the channeling of water.
