KERN RIVER VALLEY, Calif. (KERO) — Although progress has been made to contain the fire, it's burned through thousands of acres that are home to wild species like owls, mountain lions, and snakes.
- Since it began, the Borel Fire has ripped through thousands of acres, destroying many homes and property not just residents.
- Kern River Ranger District Wildlife Biologist Ron Rozar says some wildlife includes owls, snakes, and mountain lions.
- Rozar said some of the species in the area might have fallen victim to the fire. However, he says that most animals are accustomed to natural disasters like wildfires and hide in nearby areas while the fire burns out.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It's been over a week since the Borel Fire began to burn in the Kern River Valley, displacing several individuals from their homes. But people aren't the only ones who were affected. Biologist Ron Rozar says the fire also consumed the home of several wild species.
"The biodiversity that we have here is unparalleled," stated Rozar. "We have a whole array of species. We have California Spotted Owls, American Goshhawks, fishers, black bears, mountain lions"
With wildfires being a natural part of the environment, Rozar says some wildlife are accustomed to something like wildfire.
"With a fire this large, that moves this fast, sadly some individuals would have succumbed to the fire, but a lot of them are going to be able to move out of the area to nearby areas, and some will just find a place to hide and wait it out," explained Rozar.
To minimize the impact fires may have on wildlife in the national forest, Rozar says he'll partner will the incident command to inform them about endangered species and critical habitats like creeks.
In this manner, he says firefighters will prioritize protecting those areas. Once the fire burns out, he says the National Forest will evaluate the impact on the habitat and determine what the needs are to develop a restoration plan.
"Sometimes it might be as intricate as reintroducing microbes to the soil. It may be moving around some of the dead vegetation to create piles that act as hiding places for some of our wildlife," said Rozar.
Rozar added that restoring the land could take at least a year.
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