News Release

Planned Prescribed Fire at Mineral Headquarters Area

Date: May 30, 2023
Contact: Jim Richardson, 530-595-6101

Lassen Volcanic National Park’s fire management staff plan to initiate a 30-acre prescribed fire project in the Mineral Headquarters area in late May/early June, depending on weather conditions. Ignition is expected to occur over a cumulative 1 to 3-day period with residual burn down predicted for up to one week after final ignition operations. The fire will be regularly staffed and monitored until it is declared out. 

This project is located at the western edge of the community of Mineral, CA, along State Highway 36 East and encompasses the Lassen Volcanic National Park administrative headquarters area. It lies among and directly adjacent to park administrative buildings and residential sites. In addition, project boundaries lie adjacent to private residences and CalTrans operational facilities. The planned treatment area has been segmented into several individual units averaging 5 acres to help facilitate management of smoke production and fire behavior. In addition, this project is accessed by multiple agency and community road systems, which further facilitate segmentation and containment.

Approximately 95% of the project area has received manual thinning in recent years to help produce more fire-resistant and resilient fuel profiles. Prescribed fires were implemented in the area in 2008 and 2016. The goal of this project is to continue to break up the continuity of the fuels that have unnaturally accumulated in the area due to the absence of fire as a natural process. Historically, fire burned regularly (every 5-20 years) in this vegetation community, shaping and maintaining this natural environment. Reintroduction of fire and subsequent maintenance treatments within this area will help mimic historic and natural fire activity to preserve the historic vegetation community. Additionally, this project will help protect park and community infrastructure and other sensitive resources from undesired wildland fire events that may threaten the community.

The goal of the fire management program at Lassen Volcanic National Park is to use prescribed fire, where appropriate, for the restoration of fire-dependent ecosystems and for resource management goals. Prescribed fire projects are conducted in a manner consistent with park and prescribed fire plans.