How forest management changed the course of the Washburn fire and the fate of Yosemite’s giant sequoias

Abstract

Abstract Background The Washburn fire started on July 7, 2022 in the lower Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park, posing immediate threats to the iconic giant sequoias, critical Pacific fisher habitat, and the community of Wawona and bringing national attention to Yosemite’s firefighting efforts. In the aftermath of the Washburn, we evaluate how decades of fire management and recent roadside thinning in the Park shaped the tactics and outcomes of the Washburn fire. Fuels reduction and prescribed fire have been at the core of Yosemite’s fire management program since the 1970s and much of this activity has been concentrated in the two areas where firefighting operations were most successful in protecting key resources. We use long-term fire effects monitoring data, airborne light detection and ranging data, and operational perspectives to link together science, management, and fire operations. Results Successful initial attack and suppression efforts kept fire out of the Mariposa Grove and the community, where topography and the distribution of heavy fuels largely drove fire behavior throughout the course of the fire. We demonstrate the cumulative effects of decades of fuels treatments in reducing two major drivers of fire behavior – tree density and fuel load – and highlight substantially lower ladder fuels in treatment units compared to the Washburn fire footprint. Conclusions We show how repeated prescribed fire and fuels treatments can promote forest structure indicative of frequent-fire regimes, moderate extreme fire behavior, improve the ability to protect key resources of concern, and increase human safety in the face of unplanned wildfire. Strategically placed prescribed fire and fuels treatments surrounding the Washburn Fire were key considerations in wildfire suppression tactics and were instrumental in protecting the Mariposa Grove.