The Cow Fire has grown to 1,350 acres as it continues to move naturally across the landscape at a low-intensity. Firefighters have been successful in reinforcing natural barriers to confine and suppress the fire in a safe manner, with minimal impacts to the wilderness. Crews have secured 15 percent containment. Fire mangers anticipate that the fire will continue to burn for 2 to 3 more weeks based on predicted weather conditions and observed fire behavior.

“The complexity of a wildfire determines the type of the organization that will manage the incident. Management organizations range from a low-complexity Type 5 on a 1/10-acre fire up to a Type 1 which requires thousands of firefighters and support staff. The Cow Fire is presently being managed by a Type 3 organization and is not expected to increase in complexity” commented Tomas Gonzales, District Fire Management Officer on the Lone Pine District of the Inyo National Forest.

The Cow Fire Type 3 organization is working from the Incident Command Post (ICP) located in Lone Pine; and is comprised of the Incident Commander and specialists who focus on safety, logistics, planning, public information,mapping and finance. These team members make operational plans, ensure that fire personnel are aware of hazards and ways to mitigate safety concerns, coordinate the ordering and delivery of supplies, produce maps to track fire progression and inform tactical planning, track costs associated with the fire and provide timely and accurate information to the public. Although these team members are far from the fire line, without planning and support from the ICP, firefighters on the line would not be able to accomplish their operational objectives.

Moderate smoke impacts can be expected over the holiday weekend as the Cow Fire continues to slowly consume surface fuels on the forest floor such as logs, grass, brush and duff. Smoke may settle overnight in the South Fork of the Kern River, Kennedy Meadows and Olancha. Smoke will lift during the day and be visible from recreational sites and trails in the Golden Trout Wilderness, the Highway 395 corridor and surrounding communities.

Closure Order:Several back-country trail segments have been closed for public safety and firefighter focus. All segments are on R35ET18S Section 31 and R35E T19S Sections 4,5,6,8,9,17 and 18 of the Templeton Mountain topo map. The segments are: 3507 from Templeton Cow Camp east to the intersection with 3412/3512 near Strawberry Creek 3510 from the intersection with 3512 near Strawberry Creek east to the South Fork of the Kern River 3512 from the intersection with 3510 (near Strawberry Creek) south to Schaeffer Stringer near Iron Spring 3511 from where it intersects 3512 south to where it crosses Schaeffer Stringer.
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place for the Cow Fire as well.

Firefighters continue strengthening line around the Cow Fire as it moves east towards Fat Cow Meadow. The shape and size of this fire is being determined by the existing rocky ridges, green meadows, running creeks and recreation trails that firefighters are strengthening to contain and confine it. This is the safest, most efficient way to stop this fire that is consistent with wilderness values. It has remained a low-intensity surface fire, consuming ground fuels with very little tree-torching.

“This fire is burning in a natural mosaic pattern on the landscape” according to IC Jason Wingard.The weather is expected to be consistent: warm sunny days with maximum temperatures between 72 – 750 F with minimum relative humidity between 12-14%, and winds out of the southwest of 6-12 mph (gusts over the ridges up to 20 mph).

The Cow Fire is staffed by 4 crews in the Golden Trout Wilderness. Supporting those crews requires careful logistical support for getting the right supplies in the right place in the time they are needed. Fire management staff are using two methods of transport: helicopters for transport of crews, and both helicopters and pack strings for equipment and supplies. At this point, firefighters have most of the equipment they need; now it’s a matter of keeping them supplied with potable water and fuel and back-hauling empty containers. Mules carry about 150 -200 pounds per animal with 5 mules per pack string. Mules can get to and back from the Cow fire area within a day from the Black Rock trailhead on the Sequoia National Forest. The helicopters can take up to 900 pounds per load to and from the fire area in less than 2 hours as well as drop supplies in areas inaccessible to mules. A pack-string can transport the same weight of supplies in a day that a helicopter can do in one sling but is less expensive and is less disruptive to wilderness than helicopters. For the Cow Fire, a combination of pack strings and helicopters are key to transporting supplies to firefighters.

Closure Order:Several back-country trail segments have been closed for public safety and firefighter focus. All segments are on R35E T18S Section 31 and R35E T19S Sections 4,5,6,8,9,17 and 18 of the Templeton Mountain topo map. The segments are: 3507 from Templeton Cow Camp east to the intersection with 3412/3512 near Strawberry Creek 3510 from the intersection with 3512 near Strawberry Creek east to the South Fork of the Kern River 3512 from the intersection with 3510 (near Strawberry Creek) south to Schaeffer Stringer near Iron Spring 3511 from where it intersects 3512 south to where it crosses Schaeffer StringerA Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place for the Cow Fire as well.

Firefighters have made good progress on the Cow Fire. The fire has increased in size as expected for the area that it is in. It has mostly been a surface fire with very little tree torching. Large downed logs account for much of the smoke production. Cow Fire smoke has been visible from Olancha in the afternoons.Keeping the crews supplied out in the field, confirming daily firefighting tactics and reviewing emergency medical plans requires regular communication. The Cow Fire area has no cell coverage; firefighters talk to each other on the ground with radios but in order to talk to base camp, they use satellite phones.

These phones are one of the only ways to communicate with the firefighters in this remote wilderness area. To maximize efficiency, a daily call is conducted between the command staff in Lone Pine and the operations staff on the fire. Crews spend 14 to 21 days working on the fire and need to come in for days off. Rested crews are ordered in to replace the outgoing firefighters, and that transport is arranged during these calls. “Wildland firefighting is dangerous work; clear and reliable communications can some sometimes mean the difference between life and death. Radio discipline using clear text and being decisive is a skill that firefighters continually practice throughout their careers”, said Mt. Whitney District Fire Management Officer Tomas Gonzalez.
Two additional radio repeaters will be set up in the field and several new radio frequencies have been requested. The repeaters will allow firefighters to talk to each other with better coverage and also to communicate to Lone Pine command staff. The additional frequencies will keep radio traffic about the Cow Fire from interfering with the usual radio business of the Inyo and Sequoia National Forests.

There is a red flag warning for Wednesday-only for dry lightning north of the Cow Fire. Temperatures will remain in the 70’s with relative humidity of 17-22% during the day. Winds have been in the range of 10 mph at ground level from the northeast in the morning shifting to the southeast in the afternoon.

Closure Order:Several back-country trail segments have been closed for public safety and firefighter focus. All segments are on R35E T18S Section 31 and R35E T19S Sections 4,5,6,8,9,17 and 18 of the Templeton Mountain topo map. The segments are: 3507 from Templeton Cow Camp east to the intersection with 3412/3512 near Strawberry Creek 3510 from the intersection with 3512 near Strawberry Creek east to the South Fork of the Kern River 3512 from the intersection with 3510 (near Strawberry Creek) south to Schaeffer Stringer near Iron Spring 3511 from where it intersects 3512 south to where it crosses Schaeffer StringerA Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place for the Cow Fire as well.

The Cow Fire burning in the Golden Trout Wilderness has increased to 600 acres. This is part of the contain and confine strategy: 100-200 acres of new fire growth daily is expected as crews complete backfiring along control lines. Final fire size is anticipated to be about 2,000 acres in about 2 weeks, weather and crew availability permitting. The fire continues to burn on its own within established control lines. The main fuels are dead and down trees, branches and duff. The trees of this lodgepole pine and red fir forest are rarely catching fire; this is an understory fire. Areas of active burning are burning slowly, at low-intensity, allowing firefighters to keep the fire within the natural and augmented barriers of the planning area. Most of the smoke produced is from large down logs. Some of this smoke may be visible along Highway 395, near Olancha and in Kennedy Meadows and in the Kern River drainage.

The Cow Fire has reached a series of wet meadows and an unnamed creek on the western perimeter and is close to Schaeffer Stringer on the southeastern border. It is burning slowly towards the Long Canyon Trail (3511) that has been reinforced with handline on the fire’s eastern edge. The barriers on the northeast perimeter are farther away and firefighters are working to strengthen the natural fire lines of Strawberry Creek and Schaeffer Meadow.

There are 3 wildfire modules and one hotshot crew divided between 3 spike camps near the fire area. There has been at least one wildfire module on this fire for the last 30 days. The fire is being supported and managed from the Mt. Whitney Ranger Station in Lone Pine. “We are pleased with the fire effects on the ground; we’re getting a low severity fire” said Jason Wingard, IC for the Cow Fire.

Closure Order:Several back-country trail segments have been closed for public safety and firefighter focus. All segments are on R35E T18S Section 31 and R35E T19S Sections 4,5,6,8,9,17 and 18 of the Templeton Mountain topo map. The segments are: 3507 from Templeton Cow Camp east to the intersection with 3412/3512 near Strawberry Creek 3510 from the intersection with 3512 near Strawberry Creek east to the South Fork of the Kern River 3512 from the intersection with 3510 (near Strawberry Creek) south to Schaeffer Stringer near Iron Spring 3511 from where it intersects 3512 south to where it crosses Schaeffer StringerA Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place for the Cow Fire as well.

The Cow Fire is being managed as a suppression fire with a confine and contain strategy as that is the best way to manage a remote backcountry fire to maximize fire fighter safety. Using natural barriers such as scree slopes and riparian areas along with hand-firing along trails to widen the fire control lines, the Cow fire is anticipated to reach a final size of 1,500 to 2,000 acres in the next 2 – 3 weeks. Natural fire and the hand-firing is being managed to keep the fire burning at a slow rate to minimize negative effects to the land, maximize air quality and remove the downed branches and logs.
Yesterday, fire management was transitioned to a Type 3 organization and an additional wildfire module and one hotshot crew were transported to the fire area.

Please note that this update will be prepared every other day unless a significant event occurs.

Failure to plan is planning to fail…. And we cannot risk further consequences to fire fighters should they be injured on the job. This is a dangerous profession and safety is a part of everything we do. But accidents do happen. Should a firefighter be injured on a remote fire, particularly in the Golden Trout Wilderness, where the only way to get them to a hospital is by helicopter, the radio communications, nearest hospital and medical transport needs to be in place in advance. The weak link has been patient care during transport; the field paramedic cares for the patient until he or she is loaded in the helicopter. The next medical care the patient usually receives is when the helicopter lands at the hospital or where the ambulance meets it. “This continuing definitive care is critical for a firefighter with a life-threatening injury” according to Todd McDivitt, Battalion Chief on the Mt. Whitney Ranger District. “We staff paramedics on the line at the fire and - also have one assigned to the helibase so that a paramedic is onboard the responding helicopter and to provide the patient this continuing definitive care during transport” he said. This innovative measure – staffing a paramedic for patient transport – is what the Mt. Whitney Ranger District now does for the remote wilderness fires that occur on the District. Some accidents we just can’t prevent, but we continually seek ways to improve the care of our injured firefighters.

Closure Order:Several back-country trail segments have been closed for public safety and firefighter focus. All segments are on R35E T18S Section 31 and R35E T19S Sections 4,5,6,8,9,17 and 18 of the Templeton Mountain topo map. The segments are: 3507 from Templeton Cow Camp east to the intersection with 3412/3512 near Strawberry Creek 3510 from the intersection with 3512 near Strawberry Creek east to the South Fork of the Kern River 3512 from the intersection with 3510 (near Strawberry Creek) south to Schaeffer Stringer near Iron Spring 3511 from where it intersects 3512 south to where it crosses Schaeffer StringerA Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place for the Cow Fire as well.

The Cow Fire continues to burn in the Golden Trout Wilderness just south of Templeton Mountain. A night-flying aircraft with infra-red photography capabilities flew the fire area Tuesday evening. Infra-red photography captures heat signatures on the ground and is a much-desired tool used to map the size and location of wildfires. In this case, we learned that the Cow Fire has increased to approximately 190 acres. The fire is burning relatively slowly, consuming litter, duff and small shrubs under the forest canopy. This is a low intensity fire.

Firefighters are being resupplied tomorrow with a mule train and by helicopter. An additional wildfire module and a hotshot crew will be transported to the fire area on Friday.

What goes into wilderness fires: Many wilderness fires, such as the current Cow Fire, are in remote areas where fire engines and water tenders have no access - and in federally designated wilderness areas such as the Golden Trout Wilderness - motorized vehicles are not allowed even if they could get into the fire area. How to manage a wilderness fire? One answer is with "wildfire modules", specially trained crews that can monitor and manage backcountry fires. These wildfire module crews are made up of 7 -10 experienced wildland firefighters who are self-sufficient for weeks at a time in the backcountry. "This is what these crews are made for. They understand the wilderness esthetic, use natural barriers to contain/confine fire and can use fire to strengthen containment lines, but they are primarily data collectors: they take weather data, map the fire perimeter and collect fuel samples to determine fuel conditions. They are essentially technical specialists in the back country” said Todd McDivitt, Battalion Chief on the Mt. Whitney Ranger District.We currently have 2 wildfire modules working on the Cow Fire.

Closure Order:Several back-country trail segments have been closed for public safety and firefighter focus. All segments are on R35E T18S Section 31 and R35E T19S Sections 4,5,6,8,9,17 and 18 of the Templeton Mountain topo map. The segments are: 3507 from Templeton Cow Camp east to the intersection with 3412/3512 near Strawberry Creek 3510 from the intersection with 3512 near Strawberry Creek east to the South Fork of the Kern River 3512 from the intersection with 3510 (near Strawberry Creek) south to Schaeffer Stringer near Iron Spring 3511 from where it intersects 3512 south to where it crosses Schaeffer StringerA Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place for the Cow Fire as well.

The Cow Fire is located twenty three miles southwest of Lone Pine, California deep within the Golden Trout Wilderness. The fire started on July 25 as the result of a lightning strike and has been inactive until recently. This fire is in a remote, high elevation forest burning at low intensity in lodge-pole pine, white and red fir in the Schaeffer Meadow area.

Fire fighter and public safety is the most important objective of the incident. To minimize risk to firefighters, the two 10 person crews were flown in by helicopter and are being supported by mule trains. The mule trains bring in supplies, equipment and food several times a week so that the firefighters are able to remain in the field and work on the fire. Firefighters are using a “confine and contain strategy” for this fire. Mt. Whitney District Fire Management Officer Tomas Gonzalez says “Confine/contain strategies are not always appropriate tactics to use. For example, there was a fire in this same area last year and it was quickly extinguished as last year’s fire conditions were much more severe. This year, with as much moisture as the Sierra received, managing the Cow Fire by confinement/containment is the right strategy for this place at this time.

”Firefighters have strategically placed containment lines in areas that minimize hazards and risk for working in this remote area. Natural fire breaks such as steep cliffs that are devoid of vegetation are being incorporated into the containment lines. The crews continue to strengthen these containment lines by removing combustible materials near the lines and with the use of pumps and hose lays. The smoke produced by the Cow Fire continues to minimally impact the Owen’s Valley.

Use of Pack Trains on the Inyo National Forest: Pack mules and experienced Forest Service packers have been part of the work force on the Inyo National Forest for 112 years. Mules are used to haul in equipment and supplies to support firefighters working on incidents in wilderness areas or locations inaccessible by vehicles and aircraft. Pack mules haul in trail construction materials and hand tools for wilderness trail crews as well as supplies needed for resource protection projects. The Inyo is one of 6 forests in California that maintains mule teams. Currently there are 27 mules and 3 horses employed on the Inyo with 5 packers. The packers have the expertise to work with the mules and the skills needed to load up the mules.

For wildfires in wilderness areas, mules are the most practical and cost effective way to care for the land. For more background on mules in the Forest Service, please visit the R5 Pack Stock Center of Excellence website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/packstockcoe/home

Closure Order:
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is now in place for the Cow Fire.For the latest information try these sources:Facebook: www.facebook.com/inyonf

Special Statement: This Smoke Outlook will be through Wednesday, 09/04

Cow: The Cow fire is approximately 1550 acres with a growth of 200 acres and 20% contained. Yesterday, crews in Division A and Division Z continued to strengthen containment lines as the main fire continued to grow in the interior. The outlook for today through Wednesday is roughly the same. The Incident is predicting a growth of approximately 200 acres a day. They are hoping to have the containment lines tide in by
Wednesday night or Thursday. Smoke production should be reduced by Thursday.

Smoke: Kennedy Meadows may see Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups(USG) with some possible Unhealthy levels in the morning until around noon when the inversion lifts. We should expect to see this same pattern through Wednesday. Kernville smoke monitor is back up. Keeler is seeing some some elevated smoke levels due to West winds on the Cow fire.

Webcams: Webcam website listed below. The best webcams for Broder Fire is Olancha Peak toward SW and Bald Mountain Webcam #3. The best webcams for Cow Fire is Bald Mountain Webcam #5 and Bald Mountain Webcam #2.

Daily AQI Forecast * for Sep 02, 2019: Yesterday Sun Forecast Mon Tue Station hourly 9/01 Comment for Today Mon, Sep 02 9/02 9/03

Kernville: Good conditions in the morning with Moderate conditions in the afternoon. Expect similar conditions for Wednesday.

Kennedy Meadows: USG with possible Unhealthy conditions in the morning with Good conditions in the afternoon. Expect similar conditions for Wednesday.

Keeler: May see some USG to Moderate conditions in the morning but clear out by afternoon. Expect similar conditions for Wednesday.

*Issued 2019-09-02 09:01 PDT by Ariane Sarzotti, Air Resource Advisor, ariane_sarzotti@nps.gov

Cow: The Cow fire is approximately 1350 acres with a growth of 100 acres and 15% contained.

Smoke: Kennedy Meadows may see Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups(USG) with some possible Unhealthy levels in the morning until around noon when the inversion lifts. Kernville smoke monitor seems to be offline. We will try to get that running as soon as possible.

Webcams: Webcam website listed below. The best webcams for Broder Fire is Porterville Air Base NE(camera moved from that location, name may change) and Bald Mountain Webcam #3 .The best webcams for Cow Fire is Bald Mountain Webcam #5 and Bald Mountain Webcam #2. Daily AQI Forecast * for Sep 01, 2019

Station hourly 8/31 Comment for Today Sun, Sep 01 9/01 9/02
Kernville: Good conditions in the morning with Moderate conditions in the afternoon.
Kennedy Meadows: USG with possible Unhealthy conditions in the morning with good conditions in the afternoon.
Keeler Little to no effect from these fires.


Issued 2019-09-01 08:48 PDT by Ariane Sarzotti, Air Resource Advisor, ariane_sarzotti@nps.gov
Air Quality Index (AQI) Actions to Protect Yourself

Good-None
Moderate-Unusually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged or heavy exertion.USG-People within Sensitive Groups should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.
Unhealthy-People within Sensitive Groups should avoid all physical outdoor activity.
Very Unhealthy-Everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.
Hazardous-Everyone should avoid any outdoor activity.

Disclaimer: This forecast is based on fine particulates only; ozone is not included. Forecasts may be wrong; use at own risk. Use caution as conditions can change quickly. See your health professional as needed. Smoke sensitive groups should take appropriate precautions.*Additional Links California Smoke Blog http://californiasmokeinfo.blogspot.com/ SWFRS Webcam https://rockyags.cr.usgs.gov/dashboards/WebCam.htmIssued by USFS Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program www.wildlandfiresmoke.netEastern Sierra Updates tools.airfire.org/outlooks/EasternSierra*Smoke and Health Info www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=smoke.index

Cow: The Cow fire is approximately 871 acres with a growth of100 acres and 15% contained. Yesterday crews continued toburn to the east along Division Z, strengthening the controlline. In Division A, crews held and mopped up what they hadburned over the last two days. The interior fire did activelyback throughout the night.
SmokeKennedy Meadows may see Moderate conditions overnight andinto the morning. As the inversion lifts, air quality will improve.
WebcamsWebcam website listed below. The best webcams for BroderFire is Porterville Air Base NE(camera moved from thatlocation, name may change) and Bald Mountain Webcam #3 .The best webcams for Cow Fire is Bald Mountain Webcam #5and Bald Mountain Webcam #2. Daily AQI Forecast * for Aug 28, 2019Yesterday Tue Forecast Wed ThuStation hourly 8/27 Comment for Today Wed, Aug 28 8/28 8/29Kernville Good conditions in the morning with Moderate conditions in theafternoonKennedyMeadowsModerate conditions in the morning with Good conditions in the afternoon.
Issued 2019-08-28 09:00 PDT by Ariane Sarzotti, Air Resource Advisor, ariane_sarzotti@nps.govAir Quality Index (AQI) Actions to Protect Yourself
Good NoneModerate Unusually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged or heavy exertion. USG People within Sensitive Groups should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.Unhealthy People within Sensitive Groups should avoid all physical outdoor activity.Very Unhealthy Everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.Hazardous Everyone should avoid any outdoor activity. Disclaimer: This forecast is based on fine particulates only; ozone is not included. Forecasts may be wrong; use at own risk. Use caution as conditions canchange quickly. See your health professional as needed. Smoke sensitive groups should take appropriate precautions.*