The Forest Service’s investigation of the Yellow Lake Fire that burned 33,173 acres east of Kamas this fall is complete, and it determined the fire was accidental and human-caused.
“An investigation conducted by the United States Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations concluded the Yellow Lake Fire was accidentally caused by equipment use associated with a timber sale on the Heber-Kamas Ranger District of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest,” read the investigation summary.
The Yellow Lake Fire Burned Area Response report has also been completed.
The USDA Forest Service assessed impacts of the Yellow Lake Fire on the soil within the burned area and released an analysis that categorizes the level of soil damage across the affected landscape.
The soil burns severity map, created using remote sensing imagery and field data, identifies four levels of soil burn severity:
- Unburned/Very Low: Minimal soil damage, with intact surface layers.
- Low: Moderate soil damage, with some loss of surface plants but intact topsoil.
- Moderate: Significant soil damage, with substantial loss of plants and potential damage to near-surface roots.
- High: Severe soil damage, with complete loss of plants and deep root damage, making the soil highly susceptible to erosion.
Approximately 86% of the 33,173-acre burned area exhibits low or very-low soil burn severity. While 14% of the area experienced moderate damage, less than 1% suffered high-severity burns.
The Forest Service said the Burned Area Response team will use this information to predict post-fire runoff, erosion and sedimentation. Areas with moderate-to-high soil-burn severity may experience increased runoff and erosion, particularly during heavy-rainfall events. The Forest Service said it is committed to monitoring the affected area and implementing restoration plans to less potential impacts and promote long-term recovery of the ecosystem.
The Yellow Lake Fire, now 100% contained, started on Sept. 28 near Yellow Lake, east and south of Mill Hollow Reservoir on the Heber-Kamas Ranger District Yellow and is located 10 miles southeast of Francis.