With the nearby Apple fire now 90% contained at 33,424 acres, a post-fire assessment has already begun. A Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team was established by the San Bernardino National Forest to begin a burned area assessment of the Apple Fire, which burned on state, tribal, private, and federal lands. The team is assessing potential post-fire impacts to the burned watersheds. BAER surveys are rapid assessments that evaluate the burned area to identify watersheds having increased potential for post-fire flooding, sediment flows and rockslides. The BAER survey is a rapid assessment to assist land managers prepare the burned area for the upcoming monsoon rains, the team will focus on potential emergency impacts to life, and safety on National Forest System (NFS) land and share the team’s findings with the responsible downstream agencies.
The Apple fire started in the Oak Glen area July 31 and was sparked by a faulty diesel exhaust system. At one time the Morongo Basin areas of Morongo Valley, Pioneertown and Rimrock were under an evacuation warning. At this time, all evacuations have been lifted.
