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Railroad Fire

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Coordinates: 37°26′56″N 119°39′00″W / 37.449°N 119.65°W / 37.449; -119.65
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Railroad Fire
The Railroad Fire from Bass Lake on September 1, 2017
Date(s)
  • August 29, 2017 (2017-08-29) –
  • October 24, 2017 (2017-10-24)
[1]
LocationSierra National Forest, California, United States
Coordinates37°26′56″N 119°39′00″W / 37.449°N 119.65°W / 37.449; -119.65
Statistics[2]
Burned area12,407 acres (50 km2)
Ignition
CauseUnknown
Map
Railroad Fire is located in Northern California
Railroad Fire
Location of fire in California.

The Railroad Fire was a wildfire that burned in between the communities of Sugar Pine and Fish Camp in the Sierra National Forest in California, United States. The fire was reported on August 29, 2017 and burned 12,407 acres (50 km2) before it was fully contained on October 24.[3] It occurred during the historic 2011–2017 California drought. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

The fire threatened communities in the area, historic buildings in the Nelder Grove Historic Area, Tenaya Lodge, and Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, which the fire was named after. It also impacted tourism and air quality in the forest and Yosemite National Park. It killed 39 out of the remaining 104 giant sequoias in Nelder Grove.[4]

Progression

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The Railroad Fire was reported on August 29, 2017 in the area between the communities of Sugar Pine and Fish Camp the Sierra National Forest. The cause is unknown.[2] On September 3, mandatory evacuations were ordered for the Sky Ranch Road area, due to the fire spreading towards residential areas after a storm, including the Cedar Valley Subdivision.[5] On Labor Day crews wrapped historic structures in the Nelder Grove Historic Area, including cabins dating back to the late 1800s, in protective, heat-shielding material.[6]

As of September 7, Pacific Gas & Electric began working to re-establish electricity in the fire area and increased humidity overnight helped slow the fire. By September 10, the fire had burned 12,358 acres (50 km2) and was 70% contained, with 1,035 personnel fighting the fire.[2] Crews were pulled from the fire lines on the evening of September 11 due to thunderstorms that brought a quarter inch of rain into the area.[7] On October 24, the wildfire was fully contained.[2]

Effects

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Impacts to giant sequoia

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The fire burned through much of Nelder Grove[8][9] killing 38 of the grove's 92 monarch trees[10] and forcing the permanent closure of The Shadow of the Giants trail.[11][12]

  • Fire burning in Nelder Grove on September 10, 2017.
    Fire burning in Nelder Grove on September 10, 2017.
  • Firefighters pose atop a giant sequoia stump.
    Firefighters pose atop a giant sequoia stump.
  • Portions of Nelder Grove became a snag forest after exposure to high intensity wildfire.
    Portions of Nelder Grove became a snag forest after exposure to high intensity wildfire.

Air quality

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The air quality in the area declined rapidly due to the fire, which had been burning concurrently with two others in the region. Yosemite National Park reported that air quality was "unhealthy" in the park as of September 6. Additionally, the US Forest Service reported that air quality was "hazardous" in Wawona.[13] That same day, Yosemite High School released students early from school due to poor air quality.[14]

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  • The first day of the fire as seen from nearby Oakhurst.
    The first day of the fire as seen from nearby Oakhurst.
  • Defensive burning above Cedar Valley.
    Defensive burning above Cedar Valley.
  • A DC-10 VLAT fights the fire from above.
    A DC-10 VLAT fights the fire from above.
  • Historic structures are wrapped in Nelder Grove.
    Historic structures are wrapped in Nelder Grove.
  • Firefighters walk along Highway 41.
    Firefighters walk along Highway 41.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Incident Report". Incident Information System. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d "Railroad Fire". Railroad Fire. Sierra National Forest, U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Railroad Fire Incident Report".
  4. ^ "Sequoia National Forest - News & Events". Fs.usda.gov. 2020-11-04. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  5. ^ "Evacuation Order Issued for Sky Ranch Road and Cedar Valley". InciWeb. Sierra National Forest, U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original on 7 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  6. ^ Grundhauser, Eric (6 September 2017). "To Shield Historic Cabins From Wildfire, Wrap Them in Foil". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Morning Update 9/12/17". InciWeb. Sierra National Forest, U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  8. ^ Wamsley, Laurel. "Western Wildfires Endanger Beloved Sites At National Parks". NPR. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  9. ^ Branch, John (10 December 2020). "They're Among the World's Oldest Living Things. The Climate Crisis is Killing Them". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  10. ^ Kohlruss, Carmen (2021-11-19). "Severe fire can be good for giant sequoias. The 'hopeful' new research -- and a giant debate". Fresno Bee. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  11. ^ Gould, Dean (May 22, 2018). "Forest Order No. 05-15-51-18-01 - Shadow of the Giants National Recreation Trail Closure" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture.
  12. ^ Shrable, John. "After The Fire: Nelder Grove of Giant Sequoias". KSEE24. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  13. ^ "Yosemite National Park clouded in smoke due to wildfires". KCRA. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  14. ^ "Yosemite High School students released early due to heavy smoke". ABC30 Fresno. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
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