T56

T55

T54

T53

T52

T51

T50

T49

T48

T47

T46

T45

T44

T43

T42

T41

T40

T39

T38

T37

T36

T35

T34

T33

T32

T31

T30

T29

T28

T27

T26

T25

T24

T23

T22

T21

T20

T19

T18

T17

T16

T15

T14

T13 T12

T11

T10

T09

T08

T07

T06

T05

T04

T03

T02

T01

Tulelake

139

161

39

Wildfire Location Type

Calculated

General

GPS

Refuge Headquarters

Highways

Roads

Auto Tour Route

Marsh

Water

Refuge Boundary

Private

Sump 1A

Sump 1B

OREGON

CALIFORNIA

Lava Beds

National Monument

Modoc

National

Forest

Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Wildfire History 1936 - 2005

0 0.5 1 1.5 Miles

Tule Lake NWR

Dorris

Canby

Klamath Falls

Tulelake

US 97

CA 139

OR 140

0 8 16 24 Miles

OREGON

CALIFORNIA

Number Name Year Acreage Number Name Year Acreage

T01 Hospital Rock 1938 T30 Hill Road 1990 0.1

T02 1938 T31 Frog Pond 1990 6.0

T03 Barntop Mountain 1941 T32 Doctor 1991 4.2

T04 1948 0.3 T33 Frye 1992 5.0

T05 1949 T34 Hovey Point 1992 5.0

T06 1949 T35 O'neil 1992 0.3

T07 1951 T36 Notagain 1995 15

T08 Quarters 4 1953 0.5 T37 Elvis 1995 4

T09 1953 1.6 T38 Smoke 1996 0.1

T10 1953 T39 Spud Fire 1996 2.5

T11 1958 240 T40 Canby 1997 1

T12 Refuge Fire 1-59 1959 564 T41 HQ 1997 0.1

T13 Refuge Fire 2-59 1959 3023 T42 Ark 1997 0.6

T14 1960 52 T43 Birthday 1997 0.1

T15 1960 3023 T44 Demo 1998 0.7

T16 1960 3 T45 B1W 1998 45

T17 1961 10 T46 Frog 1998 200

T18 1962 2 T47 South 2001 5

T19 1962 1 T48 Mallard 2001 0.5

T20 1962 4 T49 Little Snapper 2003 0.1

T21 1966 75 T50 SMP3-354 2003 30

T22 Sheepy Ridge 1967 95 T51 Hospital 2003 7

T23 Sheepy Ridge 1973 40 T52 Marco 2004 0.1

T24 Bighorn 1973 12 T53 Frog 2004 34.6

T25 Hard Hat 1986 10.0 T54 Moore (Truck) 2004 0.1

T26 Hovey Point 1986 0.5 T55 LKR 30 - Hay 2005 0.1

T27 Peninsula 1986 75.0 T56 Tule 2005 3.3

T28 Hill 1986 80.0 T57 Jeep 2005 0.1

T29 Barn Top 1986 25.0 Location and name unknown 1954 1040

In October, 1928, President Calvin Coolidge established by Executive Order Tule Lake

Bird Refuge. The newly created refuge, having been previously withdrawn for reclamation

purposes as part of the Klamath Irrigation Project, was to be utilized as a bird refuge and

for irrigation of agricultural lands.

Manipulation of the present day refuge started with the construction of Clear Lake Dam in

1910. By 1914, a sufficient irrigation system was established and withdrawn lands were

leased for farming. Today, more than 16,000 acres of refuge lands are leased and farmed

annually. In 1964, Congress affirmed the use of Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge as a

migratory bird preserve while upholding its agricultural practices with the passage of the

Kuchel Act. The Act ensured the refuges existence as a haven for migrating birds with full

consideration to optimum agricultural uses.

These agricultural uses have led to a high incidence of wildfire, often the result of escaped

prescribed fires or vegetation debris burns. Until recently, lessees were permitted to burn

their fields. Some of these burns escaped the intended fields, explaining a large

percentage of wildfire activity on the refuge. These types of wildfires have varied from

only a few acres to over 3,000 acres.

The high mountain desert climate combined with cured grasses and gusty winds have

also been factors in a number of Tule Lake NWR wildfires. The refuge is bordered to its

west by Sheepy Ridge, a remnant of the once highly volcanically active basin. The ridge

is covered in readily combustible fuels and has caught fire numerous times over the

decades. Changes in uses and regulations have affected the type and frequency of

wildfires too. Camping, once a staple of traveling hunters has long been prohibited on the

refuge, and resultantly, the number of camp fire caused wildfires has diminished to zero.

Wildfire Location Type Descriptions

Calculated: The wildfire is calculated to a central

point based upon reported legal location or

specific place description. Examples include 48N,

2E, Section 28 or middle of Unit C-4 at waters

edge.

General: The wildfire is location is based upon a

general area description. Examples include

Southwest Sump of Tule Lake NWR or Unit 4 of

Lower Klamath NWR.

GPS: The wildfire location was determined using

a geographic positioning system and supporting

software, providing a specific latitude and

longitude. An example is 41 degrees, 52 minutes,

54.33 seconds north by 121 degrees, 14 minutes,

12.98 seconds west, NAD 83.

Unknown: The wildfire location was recorded

only in relation to the refuge it occurred on.

Historical records and research did not provide

any additional information. An example would be

a wildfire listed as 1954, Tule Lake NWR.

Location:

Tulelake, CA

Acreage:

39,360

Established:

October 4, 1928

Total Wildfires:

58

Percentage of Zone Total:

34

Cause Type:

Natural 5

Camp Fire 7

Smoking 2

Fire Use 15

Incendiary 10

Equipment Use 1

Railroads 0

Juveniles 1

Miscellaneous 7

Unknown 10