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   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   June 19, 2022 - Prescribed Burn in Sequoia National Forest   
      
      Prescribed Burn in Sequoia National Forest   
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      On June 16, 2022, fire personnel were completing multiple ignitions in   
      the heart of the Giant Forest of the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National   
      Parks as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on   
      board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the region.   
      The red “hot spot” marks the areas of actively burning fire in the   
      Tharps-Hazelwood Prescribed Burn. Heavy smoke rises from the fire and   
      blows to the northeast.   
      
      The Giant Forest is precious territory, filled will hundreds of monarch   
      sequoia trees including the world’s largest tree (measured by volume),   
      the General Sherman Tree. This tree stands 275 feet (83 m) tall and   
      over 36 feet (11 m) in diameter at the base. These massive, ancient   
      trees were threatened by the severe KNP Fire Complex, which burned   
      88,307 acres between September 9 and December 16, 2021. The huge,   
      incredibly hot fire killed burned in much of the Sequoia and Kings   
      Canyon National Parks, killing more than a thousand sequoia trees and   
      damaging structures. Thanks to good fire management, including   
      prescribed burns, aggressive fire-fighting techniques, and an element   
      of sheer luck, the Giant Forest was spared serious damage.   
      
      Prescribed fires are fires that are deliberately set to manage forest   
      and reduce the danger of potentially catastrophic wildfire. Giant   
      sequoias are a species that have adapted to fire. Their bark is   
      protective and can survive low-grade fires while the seeds germinate in   
      the ash bed left behind a fire. Fire opens the forest canopy, allowing   
      sunlight to reach seedlings. Fires also reduce deadwood, which stops   
      reproduction of sequoia and increase the risk of a devastatingly large   
      wildfire. The National Park Service notes that historically, widespread   
      fires have burned in sequoia groves at average intervals ranging from 6   
      to 35 years.   
      
      Prescribed fires contribute to forest health and public safety. The   
      National Park Service explains that a fire's "prescription" includes   
      detailed analyses of geographic and ecological conditions. A   
      prescription is the window within which a fire may be ignited. These   
      conditions maximize our ability to control the fire and to minimize   
      smoke in local communities. If the weather doesn't meet the   
      prescription, the fire is not ignited.   
      
      The Tharps-Hazelwood Prescribed Burn had been originally planned for   
      last spring but was postponed due to site conditions being too dry at   
      the time. InciWeb Incident Information System quotes Superintendent   
      Clay Jordan as saying, “I am relieved we were able to complete this   
      critical prescribed burn. Last year’s KNP Complex Fire demonstrated how   
      important low-intensity recent fire history is in protecting giant   
      sequoia groves from catastrophic wildfire.”   
      
      The first ignition of the Tharps-Hazelwood Prescribed Burn occurred on   
      June 9 and the last fire was started on June 16. With ignitions   
      complete, firefighters will continue to patrol the area as vegetation   
      inside the unit burns down. Many trails and areas near the prescribed   
      burn will be closed until further notice, although visitors can still   
      visit many features, including the General Sherman Tree.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Aqua   
      Date Acquired: 6/16/2022   
      Resolutions:  1km (19.5 KB),  500m (70 KB),  250m (227.1 KB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-06-19   
       
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