NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Officials said assessment work is now underway on the South Zone of the August Complex on the Mendocino National Forest.

A Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response, or BAER, team was established by the Mendocino National Forest to begin burned area assessments of the August Complex South Zone.

The BAER team is being led by Forest Service Hydrologist Luke Rutten, Natural Resource and Planning Staff Officer Kendal Young and Fishery Biologist Dan Teater.

Another Forest Service BAER team is tentatively scheduled to begin its assessment of the North Zone of the August Complex in a couple of weeks.

The Forest Service said both teams will coordinate with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; National Weather Service; US Geological Survey; the counties of Lake, Mendocino, Glenn, Tehama and, Trinity; and other federal, state and local agencies as they assess potential post-fire impacts to the burned watersheds.

BAER surveys are rapid assessments that evaluate the burned area to identify watersheds having increased potential for post-fire flooding, sediment flows and rock slides, the Forest Service said.

Since the BAER survey is a rapid assessment to assist land managers prepare the burned area for rainstorms, officials said the team focuses on potential emergency impacts to life, and safety on National Forest System land and share the findings with the responsible downstream agencies.

The Forest Service said BAER teams may consist of scientists and specialists including hydrologists, geologists, soil scientists, road engineers, botanists, wildlife biologists, recreation specialists, archeologists and geographic information specialists.

The teams collect data during their burned area surveys to analyze through GIS and computer models and present their findings along with recommended BAER emergency response actions in a BAER assessment report, forest officials reported.

BAER teams utilize satellite imagery and specialist data to analyze and produce a map that shows the levels of burn severity on the watersheds. The Forest Service said this is the first step in assessing potential watershed impacts from wildfires to any National Forest System values that may be at-risk from potential increased flooding, sedimentation, debris flows and rock slides.

Based on their work, the Forest Service said BAER teams produce a report that describes threats associated with the burned area’s post-fire conditions along with recommended emergency stabilization measures and actions.

BAER emergency response efforts are focused on the protection of human life, safety and property, as well as critical cultural and natural resource values such as the water quality of streams and wetlands on National Forest System lands, officials said.

The resulting BAER reports are shared with interagency cooperators who work with downstream private homeowners and landowners to prepare for potential post-fire flooding and debris flow impacts, the Forest Service reported.

Homes or businesses that could be impacted by flooding from federal land that resulted from wildfires may be eligible for flood insurance coverage. Visit https://www.floodsmart.gov/.