Current Situation: The Springs Fire is being managed with a strategy to reintroduce fire into the landscape in its’ natural role. Overnight firefighters continued to prep and strategically apply fire to the landscape to further secure the fire to containment lines. Last night an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), commonly referred to as a drone was used in firing operations. Smoke is expected to be variable and depends on the daily winds. From evening into early morning smoke may drain into the Long Valley area, potentially impacting the community of Crowley Lake. As winds shift late morning into early afternoon the smoke will begin dispersing towards Mammoth Lakes, Devils Postpile, June Lake, and Lee Vining. Benton may expect lighter smoke later in the afternoons as winds are expected to shift out of the southwest. The latest daily air quality forecasts and site by site details can be found at- https://fires.airfire.org/outlooks/InyoNationalForest
The Who’s Who of the Incident Management Organization: The Unmanned Aircraft System or UAS team from the Bureau of Land Management will be using a drone with Plastic Sphere Dispenser (PSD) capabilities to conduct firing operations. Research and development of PSD (aerial ignition) operations with UAS is among the 2019 goals of the UAS program. This method of ignition is very cost effective and reduces firefighter exposure to numerous hazards associated with ground and aerial wildland fire operations. Utilizing UAS on an incident enables manned aircraft, traditionally tasked with data collection, to be re-purposed for tactical missions. UAS are authorized and capable of flying at night and in heavy smoke conditions. They can also provide real time video, thermal imagery and mapping services. UAS are used for many other important tasks including: wildlife habitat surveys; recreation site photos and video imagery; archeological paleontology surveys; hydrologic analysis; erosion assessments; hazmat spills and accident investigation documentation; USGS support for volcano research, and other valuable mapping projects throughout the western U.S. “UAS uses cutting edge technology and is the future of wildland fire management,” said Interagency Fire Management Officer Taro Pusina.
Closure Order: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is now in place for the Springs fire. Please go to the following link https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_9_7847.html for detailed information about the TFR. Forest Order No. 05-04-50-19-09 is in effect for some roads leading into the Springs fire to provide for public and firefighter safety. See Exhibit B of the Forest Order for a description of the exact closure area, or the provided closure map here: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/6477/