Most of Caldor Fire area reopens; Forest Service urges caution when recreating
Beginning Friday most of the Caldor fire area in the Eldorado National Forest opened for public access. Visitors are reminded to use extra caution when recreating in this part of the forest due the hazards in recently burned landscapes.
The following roads, trails and developed recreation sites directly impacted by the fire will remain closed for ongoing hazard mitigation under Forest Order 03-22-06:
· Elkins Flat OHV Trail System
· 11N46 (Alder Creek Road)
· 10N40 (Plum Creek Road)
· 42 Milestone Day Use Area
· Caples Creek Trailhead
· Caples Equestrian Trailhead
· Capps Crossing Campground
· China Flat Campground and Day Use Area
· Eagle Rock Day Use Area
· Elkins Flat OHV Staging Area
· Gray Rock Campground
· Lyons Creek Trailhead
· Martin Meadows Campground
· Pyramid Creek Trailhead
· Silver Fork Campground
"This is an important step in the fire recovery process," said Forest Supervisor Jeff Marsolais. "As we complete site clean up, I anticipate we will be reopening these sites as well."
Trail users in the fire area should be prepared to navigate without trail signs or fully visible trails, and trail bridges may have burned, so be sure to bring a map, GPS app or device. Drivers should watch for extra logging trucks and other heavy equipment that will be using the road system for post-fire operations.
Other hazards throughout the Caldor fire area include burned stump holes, root chambers and ash pits, landslides and rockfall, hazardous material from burned structures, displaced wildlife, and the possibility of flash flooding and debris flows during periods of heavy rain.
The public is encouraged to use unburned areas of the forest outside of the Caldor Fire area. In the areas affected by the fire, its' important to be aware of your surroundings and consider the following:
— Dead or damaged falling trees: Fire killed and fire weakened trees can fall over, blow down or drop limbs without warning. Shallow-rooted trees can also fall. Its important to be extra alert around burned trees, especially after rain events or during high winds. Never picnic, camp, or park a vehicle close to dead trees. Look up while on trails and if the wind picks up, head to a clearing away from potential falling trees.
— Flash Floods/Debris Flows: The risk of fast-moving, flash floods and debris flows triggered by intense rainfall increases after fires due to vegetation loss and exposed soil. Avoid recreating in a post-fire area during a rain event. If caught in a storm, get to high ground. Don’t attempt to drive or hike through an area where flooding or a debris flow has occurred. These events can hide dips in roads or trails and other obstacles. They can also wash away the entire road or trail surface and a significant amount of ground beneath.
— Burned Stump Holes, Root Chambers, Ash Pits: Burned stumps may create visible holes, and these holes may even be bigger due to burning underground. In many cases, the fire may have burned through the root chambers and consumed the woody root material leaving vacant chambers where solid wood used to be. Overtime, these root chambers will collapse. A person’s body or vehicle weight on the root chambers may also cause them to collapse, potentially opening a hole. Large trees have particularly large root chambers that can be very deep.
— Landslides and Rockfall: The roots of live plants hold soil in place. However, where plants were burned and will not recover, their roots are also dead. As burned roots decompose, they will no longer bind the soil which will allow the soil and rock to shift and move. Storm-triggered landslides and rockfall are dangerous and may make trails and roads impassable.
Updates to recreation status can be found on the Eldorado National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/eldorado. In general, most developed recreation sites open by Memorial weekend after snowmelt and routine maintenance is completed.
You can also contact our visitor information staff from 8:00-4:30 Monday through Friday at:
· Forest Supervisors’ Office – 530-303-2412
· Georgetown Ranger District – 530-334-6477
· Pacific / Placerville Ranger District – 530-644-2324
· Amador Ranger District – 209-259-3774
For information about the Caldor Fire area on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, visit www.fs.usda.gov/ltbmu.