Officials Start on Fire Repair as Containment Rises on the Six Rivers Lightning Complex Fire

Willow Creek, Calif. (KIEM)- After the flames are put out, land that came in contact with fire is often left dry, burnt, and sometimes a difficult place for new life to start. But, that’s where the Resource Advisors, or READS come in. 

Lead Resource Advisor, AJ Donnell, gives us a more in depth explanation of what READS do in the field. 

“The resource officers are out there trying to look at the landscape, look at what we call critical values and critical resources. So it could be wildlife values, it could be fisheries values, it could be our culture values,” said Donnell. “As the team is out there trying to suppress the fire, we’re out there trying to help with them and do it in a way that is not necessarily harming some of those critical values.”

The READS take into account local knowledge of the land and encourage the community to guide some of these repair efforts. The READS work with the Hoopa Tribe to protect and repair the land to similar conditions before the fire. 

“They’re the ones who know the landscape. This is their territory, this is the land that their ancestors grew up and lived on. And so they’re a key member for our team and they know where some of these historical sites are.” 

As containment of the fire continues to rise, the READS department becomes a critical role in operations. Public Information Officer, Debbie Carlisi, gave us an update on containment of the fire and the current efforts being made by the READS. 

“The Ammon fire is still 100% contained, and we’re doing repair work up there… we’re doing repair work to put them back to as close to nature as possible,” said Carlisi. “(on) Both fires our READS are out there scouting around and then giving us reports on what needs to be done”