Pyrogeography of the Lassen Foothills - Park Fire - 7/30/24

A long-form tour of the Pyrogeography of the Lassen Foothills Region, where the Park Fire is burning in Butte and Tehama Counties, Northern California.
Includes viewer-provided video footage from Michael Steinberg @norcalstormchasing of a spicy tactical firing operation on the west side of the fire from 7/29/2024, discussion of prescribed fire on lands managed by the City of Chico, and post-fire photos of a forest which was prescribed burned in the past several years which survived the Park Fire and may have helped prevent further destruction on neighboring properties in Upper Cohasset.
8:00pm, 7/30/2024

[davidbell]

Thank you for doing this... I'm a guy on fixed income Social Security Disabiliy fighting cancer and I really appreciate your knowledge and being able to view this and learn some too. Thank you!!!

[AscendedVitality]

Thank You ZEKE and to ALL the Emergency Personnel in Service to STOP the PARK FIRE!
🙏🏼💪🏼💦🌲⛑️🕊

[auntiejune]

Thanks again Zeke. I don't know anyone else whose hour-long video I'd sit through. Yours are fascinating and I always learn a lot.

[mamalovesthebeach]

I really enjoy your old landscape photos. It’s interesting to see how landscape changes over long periods of time. A friend that was born in 1920 told me she remembers the Mill Valley, CA hills devoid of redwoods. We have widespread Monterey pine dieoff on the north coast. Long term drought weakened all trees, then the bark beetle infestation further weakened them, they were then overcome by pitch canker. Driving up the coast above Jenner all through the Sea Ranch area on both sides of Hwy 1 are thousands of standing dead and downed Monterey Pines and Doug fir. My husband is a 40-year climbing arborist so we spend a lot of time noticing what’s happening with trees and the landscape. Because of your reporting, I’ve become slightly obsessed with fire science. I’ve not been out your way in years… hope the fire doesn’t reach Chester or Lassen. Deer Creek is a beautiful landscape… thanks so much Zele.

[CaptainRon]

Hi Zeke, I watched this helmet cam video yesterday Tuesday. And I commented to this cat that he needed to clean up his language, because it would be a great training video. I couldn’t help but laugh when I watched it this morning on your new feed. Keep up the great work. BTW, retired fire service, professional here.

[thewindyone]

Thank you for your sharing of your life and research of the area…

[Mrbfgray]

Some of this is fascinating, as always, I learn a ton.

[DebraDockler-ossb]

Thank you for sharing this with us very informative godbless you and your family ❤😊❤

[anjanetteshadley]

Zeke: Thank you again for taking the time and effort to explain this difficult fire information. I am worried about Lassen Meadows Ranch outside of Chester. They survived in the middle of the apocalypse and I hope they will again.

[auntiejune]

Thanks too for always pointing out the constraints our fire crews face. Those who criticize them should see them when they come off a fire, and hike the country they're working in.

[patrickrussell]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge of the area...from Chico to Red Bluff and Lake Almanor.

[michellebrown]

Thanks very much for so much information! I have family scattered all over up there. I'm in Eureka on the coast and hate seeing these places, and all the trees burn. It's nice to know that we can tell exactly what these fires do or a lot of other people would be hurt and not knowing which way or where to go! Thanks again!

[stirlingholloway]

I think it's a good idea to have more discussion of things we might be able to do to mitigate the harm of wildfires. I'd say your remark about the possibility of a prescribed burn in the vicinity of where the Park Fire started helped me understand more about what kinds of things could help significantly. Of course, as you said, efforts to mitigate have the potential to cause harm.

[kathleensanchez]

Im here thank you your great cottonwood anderson area

[mamalovesthebeach]

We have a tree service company and we are sometimes heartbroken when we see a mature tree we’ve bid to lighten up/trim self destructing because the homeowner either chose not to or could not afford to spend the money to properly maintain their tree. City’s are hampered by budget constraints. In a landscape like yours where fire is a constant threat the cost to lessen the threat will need to be adjusted to the current reality.

[Geoplanetjane]

Thank you for all this. I would be interested in you one of these days.

[mark-qs]

“Professor”, Have you done or could you put together a “class” about the natural reforestation of Lassen Park? Very unique area! Thank you!!

[CATNCA]

Make sure to hit the 👍 and help this info reach more people!

[portermeeka]

1:00:23 We call that place The Top Of The World.

[RidgeRunner-smvs]

The Shelly Fire seems like a real weirdo in the way it burnt.