Fire at Transfer Station Prompts Review of Burning Practices

SIERRA CITY — Between 5:30 and 7 PM on Wednesday, January 22nd, the Sierra City Transfer Station burn pile containing smoldering embers became out of control as gusts of wind floated some embers into nearby brush. The Sierra City Fire Department requested mutual aid in fighting the fire from the Downieville Fire Department and US Forest Service at around 7 PM. At the initial response, roughly one acre burned, with a variable rate of spread toward Loganville due to wind conditions. Upon arriving at the scene, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation warnings for two residences in the Loganville area, only one of which was occupied.

At 8:30 PM, the fire had spread to roughly 2 acres, with flare-ups continuing to be aided by wind. 75-80% containment was reported on one flank of the fire. Still, the other flank was spreading uncontained into the valley toward Loganville. Around this time, US Forest Service resources arrived and became active in fighting the fire, quickly increasing containment.

By 9:45 PM, the primary hotspot of the fire was extinguished and no longer visible on monitoring cameras. The fire was deemed well-controlled, with only embers present. Soon after, Downieville and Sierra City Fire resources were released from the scene, and the Forest Service continued to monitor.

Roughly 10,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish the blaze. Only brush actively burned, with little damage visible on trees. A Forest Service representative on-scene described the fire as ultimately doing “more good than harm,” as it accomplished many of the fire-preventing goals of a prescribed fire. The Nature Conservancy, an organization prominent in using prescribed fire for forest management, deployed a crew on Thursday to ensure fire control and provide members with real-world training for managing controlled burns.

Ultimately, the burn pile was left smoldering when it should have been fully extinguished, for which Director of Sierra County Public Works Bryan Davey took responsibility on behalf of his department. The pile is often left unattended with burning embers because complete extinguishment daily would leave much material unburned, and having 24-hour staff oversight is not feasible for the county. Generally, when conditions become dryer, particularly at the end of the wet season, Public Works directs the pile to be fully doused. Because the recent spell of weather was dryer than expected, and this period is generally prime burning season, that direction was not given.

This fire is not the first to have been caused by the burn pile at the Sierra City Transfer Station. Davey says that another fire occurred most recently four years ago, in January of 2021, and led to a shortening of the burning season. However, that fire escaped under similar circumstances, and the protocol of letting the pile smolder unattended, which Davey describes as a normal practice, has remained unchanged.

After this incident, Public Works directed all Sierra County burn piles to be fully extinguished. The department is reviewing its policies to determine how to ensure fires get extinguished before such an event as this occurs. Davey says the piles will not be reignited this year “until we have adequate snow on the ground to alleviate the fears of an escaped burn.” Davey was grateful that fire risks were not extreme on Wednesday and that the fire never became a serious threat to the surrounding communities.