TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

In another example of the evolution of fire management strategies in the nation's forests, the U.S. Forest Service is allowing the Shotgun Fire to burn eastward, while at the same time, attempting to block the fire's westward expansion.

Located in the Golden Trout Wilderness northeast of Porterville where Shotgun Creek flows into the Little Kern River, the Shotgun Fire has grown to 412 acres and is expected to double again in area by the end of the holiday weekend, the U.S. Forest Service said in a release Friday.

The Shotgun Fire is the first example in the Golden Trout Wilderness of the Forest Service implementing its new fire policy.

The east side of the Shotgun fire is being managed to improve wildlife and fisheries habitat, improve forest health, and reduce the unnatural accumulation of forest fuels, such as dead branches, pine needles and underbrush, the Forest Service said.

The new policy views fire as playing a "natural role" in the shaping of the Sierra Nevada forests and reducing the chance of more severe fires in the future.

However, firefighters are not allowing the fire to spread past Camelback Ridge, located along the west side of the Shotgun Fire. Officials are concerned that if the fire were to spread across Camelback and burn into the Soda Springs Creek drainage area, the fire would cause unacceptable damage to Little Kern golden trout and California spotted owl habitat. Smoke is an additional concern.

"A slow moving fire would improve habitat in the Soda Springs Creek drainage," Incident Commander Paul Gibbs said in a statement.

"However, current conditions would likely not result in a slow-moving fire," Gibbs said.

No trail closures have been reported in the Golden Trout Wilderness but visitors are urged to be cautious when traveling in the area near the fire.