This fire should be stopping any day now...but meanwhile it has expanded across Mother Lode valley on the East lower end and up to the top of the ridge southeast of Welcome Lakes - close but not quite to last years Bull Burn. It also burned along the valley headwall to the junction of the trails up above Pansy Lake. Spot fires started up over the ridges to the north in both cases.

The good part is that much of the fire was on the ground - stand replacement may not have occurred or been limited, but the litter and shrubs under the trees will be gone. This fire is under wilderness rules and is not being fought.

I visited the Welcome Lakes area this summer and indeed much of the area was nothing but charcoal. West Welcome is untouched, but the campground and most of the area around the lakes near it saw complete stand replacement. Some trees remain near Welcome Lake below the campground area. Though there are large areas of dead forest there is also a mosaic mixing green forest with charcoal.

The most astounding thing was that people had camped at the campground in the charcoal and left garbage - the area had burned perfectly clean and they left garbage.

The last report I read on the inciweb site said it would probably be the last report, as the recent rains and cooler weather should eventually put the fire out.

Were you part of the fire crew?  I would love to get in there and see the damage first hand, but since the area has been technically closed for over a year now, I haven't.  I've thought about hiking in there anyway, but have opted to obey the posted closures.  I just wonder how long it will be before they re-open the area.  Are the trails in really poor condition after the fire?  I keep hearing about "hazard trees", but no work appears to have been done to remove them......

I'm really glad it didn't get to Silver King Lake.  There is some really beautiful old growth in that area that would be a shame to lose.

After hiking the Thunder mountain burn area this past weekend, and seeing how it has recovered pretty well, I think there is much hope for the wilderness areas that have burned.  I was surprised to see how quickly things are starting to recover at Thunder mountain.  I was there right after the fire, and it wasn't a pretty site.  Amazing how a few years can make such a difference.

It astonishes me how ignorant people are - where do they think that garbage is going to go?   Do they believe the garbage fairy is going to magically take it away?

Thanks for the post.  It is very interesting info.