I would really like to have a dialogue about this subject. I would greatly appreciate any contributions and comments on this subject.
For almost one hundred years, the U.S. forest service and local governments have fought just about all forest fires and put them out as quickly as possible. This has interrupted the natural process of how the forests grow. Throughout earth's history, it has been natural to have forest fires. They have spread widely through the forests and they burn out dead trees and heavy brush that build-up. But because we have been preventing this process, all the dead material has tremendously built up. Now all this dead material makes the fires burn far more intensely and then burns out everything in its path including all large trees which normally would not have been burned during normal fires. The large trees have heavy bark and have always survived these forest fires until now.
The remedy is a massive program including selective logging that would clear-out the heavy stands of forest with many smaller trees that would have previously been cleared out by fires. And to clear piles and piles of dead trees and heavy brush. And after that or anytime now, start to let many wildfires burn themselves out, returning the natural process. Of course, fires where multiple structures are directly threatened would still need to be aggressively fought. Prescribed burns are only a stop-gap measure, and ten years from now, if we don't do something different, we might just find that major wildfires may often be burning out-of-control for weeks.
There was a huge forest fire in Happy Valley, California, recently. This area of the forest is riddled and dotted with houses and recreational facilities.
Northern California wildfires
*VIDEO*:
Happy Valley home destroyed by fire | Local News - Home
Are there any fires now where you live?
For almost one hundred years, the U.S. forest service and local governments have fought just about all forest fires and put them out as quickly as possible. This has interrupted the natural process of how the forests grow. Throughout earth's history, it has been natural to have forest fires. They have spread widely through the forests and they burn out dead trees and heavy brush that build-up. But because we have been preventing this process, all the dead material has tremendously built up. Now all this dead material makes the fires burn far more intensely and then burns out everything in its path including all large trees which normally would not have been burned during normal fires. The large trees have heavy bark and have always survived these forest fires until now.
The remedy is a massive program including selective logging that would clear-out the heavy stands of forest with many smaller trees that would have previously been cleared out by fires. And to clear piles and piles of dead trees and heavy brush. And after that or anytime now, start to let many wildfires burn themselves out, returning the natural process. Of course, fires where multiple structures are directly threatened would still need to be aggressively fought. Prescribed burns are only a stop-gap measure, and ten years from now, if we don't do something different, we might just find that major wildfires may often be burning out-of-control for weeks.
There was a huge forest fire in Happy Valley, California, recently. This area of the forest is riddled and dotted with houses and recreational facilities.Northern California wildfires
*VIDEO*:
Happy Valley home destroyed by fire | Local News - Home
Are there any fires now where you live?
