Del Puerto Canyon wildfire surveys estimate ranching losses from SCU Lightning Complex
Preliminary surveys of Del Puerto Canyon wildfire damages are determining ranchers’ losses and projecting grasses will take two growing seasons to recover.
The SCU Lightning Complex as of Friday has caused an estimated $60 million in losses for ranchers in the coast range when accounting for forage, fencing, livestock and stock pond damage, said Theresa Becchetti, a livestock and natural resource adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension.
The coast range includes Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Santa Clara and Alameda counties. Becchetti said the loss estimate is based off 340,000 acres burned in the SCU Lightning Complex, which Cal Fire reported Sunday has reached about 377,000 acres. Since the complex fires ignited Aug. 16, Becchetti said roughly 290 square miles or 185,000 acres have burned in Stanislaus County.
Many ranchers west of Patterson are still assessing their property, Becchetti said, but so far she has not heard of livestock dying in the Canyon Zone Fire. With burned grazing lands expected to produce 40% less grass in the next growing season and 20% less in the following season, Becchetti said ranchers will face choices about whether to buy feed, lease land elsewhere or sell their cattle.
“Once they build their cow herd, a lot of people don’t want to sell them unless they have to because those cows will know that landscape, will be able to travel the hills that are on the West Side and know where the water sources are,” Becchetti said. “So, there’s a value for ranchers to keep the cow herd that they have, but each person will make the decision based on their own circumstances.”
If the damage in Del Puerto Canyon qualifies as a federal disaster, Becchetti said aid from the United States Department of Agriculture could help ranchers pay for feed, rebuild fences and clean debris from stock ponds, which hold water for livestock to drink. Becchetti, who advises Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties and will work with the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office to determine if they can declare a disaster, said next steps include collecting grass samples near the burn areas.
Majority of structures survived, Stanislaus County Sheriff says
Overall, the Canyon Zone Fire has burned the south side of Del Puerto Canyon Road more than the north, Stanislaus County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse said Thursday. Based on aerial surveys, the majority of structures in the canyon survived, but Dirkse said he could not provide statistics other than 15 or 16 destroyed structures.
Generally, structures without vegetation or underbrush surrounding them did not burn, Dirkse said. The overall SCU Lightning Complex has destroyed 33 structures and still threatens more than 20,000 at 50% containment, Cal Fire reported Sunday.
All remaining evacuation orders and warnings in Stanislaus County were lifted Sunday morning, but the announcement from CalFire urged residents to remain vigilant amid fire conditions.
“If you see electrical wires on the ground, stay clear and contact PG&E immediately. Trees and poles with deep charring, particularly if still smoking, should be considered hazardous,” it said. “Please drive slowly and yield to emergency personnel in the area. As you re-enter your property and evaluate damage, be aware that hazardous conditions may exist, particularly if a residence or outbuilding has been burned.”
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
