Victory in the Slater Fire Footprint: KFA and Crag Law Center protect fragile post-fire forests on the Siskiyou Crest
On the evening of September 7, 2020, the Slater Fire was lit by a downed powerline near Slater Butte Lookout. Pushed by unusually strong winds and extremely dry conditions, the Slater Fire raged through Happy Camp, California tragically burning over 200 homes before racing up Indian Creek at high severity into both the Smith River and Illinois River watersheds. Within 24 hours the fire was over 100,000 acres and was threatening the community of Takilma, Oregon. As the historic wind event died down both fire severity and spread were moderated and much of the remaining fire burned at low to moderate severity in the headwaters of the Illinois River.
The Slater Fire and the East Fork Illinois River canyon with the snowy peaks of the Siskiyou Wilderness in the difference. Photo credit: Deer Creek Photography
In February 2021, the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest proposed the Slater Fire Re-entry Project in the mountains above Takilma, Oregon. This large, post-fire logging and “danger”...