Looking back at the 2015 Big Creek fire

In 2015 an escaped burn pile tore through the Big Creek watershed and headed north (towards Pine Mountain Lake) before it was stopped at the I-120. You can see the charred trees a few miles before you hit Smith Station Rd. on the right hand side as you head east from Groveland.

Some important reminders from this fire:

1) Escaped burn piles happen quite often in the foothills.

2) Embers from wildfires can travel up to more than a mile and cause spot fires.

3) Fire suppression for decades in the Groveland area has caused unhealthy forests.

4) Nature will eventually restore itself.

Some things we can do as a community:

1) Encourage local officials to train residents as to how to conduct safe and efficient burning.

2) Harden our homes. Remember 80% of homes burn down from embers igniting flammables on the roof or in the 30 foot safe zone.

3) Continue to restore our forests. A good example of this is just to the right of the new resiliency center in Groveland.

4) Learn about fire ecology to appreciate fire’s benefits to our forest lands.

Pictures: (1) Glow from the Big Creek Fire. (2) Healthy ponderosa pines growing in the nutrients returned to the soil by the Big Creek Fire.