Little Yamsay Fire 2024

This lightning-caused wildfire is being utilized to return natural fire to the landscape in an effort to restore forest health and reduce fuels. Our group of experienced, professional wildland firefighters will conduct a series of firing operations to safely and methodically burn the fuels between the main fire and our established containment lines, reintroducing low-intensity fire to the landscape. Some of the benefits include;

• Enhancing meadows by reducing the encroachment of pines into these areas and increasing wildlife forage.
• Minimizing the spread of disease and insects in the forest
• Removing unwanted non-native, invasive plant species
• Recycling nutrients to promote healthy soils
• Reducing fuel loading by consuming dead and downed woody material, including logs, brush, needle cast, and stumps
• Reducing ladder fuels and stand density by eliminating smaller-diameter trees

The plan for the Little Yamsay Fire is to systematically and safely burn approximately 6,000 acres in a three-phase sequence. An additional phase four block is also being prepared for a firing operation if conditions allow. Our effort will add to the existing footprint of the 3,200 acre Dillon Creek Fire, which will result in nearly a 10,000-acre treated buffer to protect values at risk from future wildfires.

A Type 3 Incident Management Team (IMT) assumed command of the Little Yamsay Fire Tuesday, April 30 at 0600 to allow the Fremont-Winema National Forest to focus on conducting prescribed fire.

Fire managers have developed a plan consisting of three phases of firing operations to achieve objectives: 

• Phase One will increase the fire footprint by 1,208 acres. Phase One was completed May 3.
• Phase Two will add another 1,055 acres. Phase Two was completed May 9.
• Phase Three will include additional 3,712 acres. Phase Three was completed May 12 with additional acreage from the Yota precribed fire unit.

The three-phase firing operation is complete. The final size Little Yamsay Fire is 6,340 acres. Here's the progression map with acres burned with corresponding dates. As of May 13, 2024 fire managers are evaluating conditions to bring fire into phase 4, which would increase the total acreage by 815 acres. 

Fire reintroduced into the landscape creates significant buffers which will break up the landscape into 10,000 to 20,000 acre treated parcels that will protect against catastrophic wildfires like the Bootleg Fire. A successful wildfire buffer was observed in the Blackhills Project Area that the Bootleg Fire burned through.

Natural ignitions are an excellent opportunity to get fire back on the landscape and encouraged in the Wildfire Crisis Strategy. Without reintroducing fire onto the landscape at the proper scale, more catastrophic fires that burn up entire ranger districts and towns will continue to happen.