Tamarack Fire (Wildfire)

The Tamarack Fire started as a lightning strike in the Mokelumne Wilderness on a rocky ridgetop with sparse fuels and natural barriers to fire spread. Friday, July 16 high winds caused rapid downslope fire spread. With this change in the fire, resources were quickly dispatched to the site. Additional resources were ordered, including very Large Air Tankers (VLAT), Single Engine Airtankers (SEATS) and helicopters.  The Type 2 Great Basin Incident Management Team #3 assumed command of the fire on Sunday, July 18 at 6 a.m. transitioning to the Rocky Mountain Type 1 Incident Management Team on Tuesday, July 20. Many Federal, State, and Local government agencies as well as organizations and businesses are cooperating to make progress on the fire. This is a full suppression fire. Public and Firefighter safety is the number one priority. Minimizing impacts to local communities, private property and structures, natural resources, highway corridors, and recreation improvements are key…