Andy Whaley
March 27, 2011
What do you think of when someone mentions a forest fire? Death or destruction? Do you cringe at the thought of a fire happening near you? If you do, let me change your mind right now: forest fires are good for everybody. If that statement didn’t do it alone, please continue to invest your attention.
There are two views on forest fires in today’s world. We have the “put it out! It’s destroying everything! It’s ugly! It’s Scary!” view, and the “let it burn” view. I am convinced that our nation has turned into a fear-stricken country that screams for fire departments to suppress unnecessary fires, which leads to a larger number of catastrophic fires and a lack of full potential from ecosystems.
So far this year, we have seen almost 600,000 acres burned in wildfires (www.nifc.gov). This number is unusually high for this time of year already. So is this a bad thing? We are left wondering if these 600,000 acres are now useless parcels of land or do we consider the burned acres new potential for quality timber and habitat.
Let us review some facts. Many western timber species and some Midwestern timber trees rely heavily on the heat produced from low to moderate intensity fires for reproduction. The heat may open cones, expose mineral soil and/or eliminate competition. Grasslands rely on frequent fire to revive old, snarled up grasses and bring new life to the area. Also, frequent fires reduce build-up of dead material in forests and grasslands which reduces fire intensity in the long-run (which is good for our safety).
I won’t deny that large, catastrophic wildfires are bad, because in reality they are very bad for all of us. On average, the US will see close to 15,000 “large” fires in a year. (nifc.gov). These large fires completely destroy standing timber; threaten homes, property and even lives. In these cases, suppression action needs to be taken, and there is no way around it if you want to save property and lives. But now we have to ask, what about the little fires that burn on the forest floor with no sign of threat? Right now, if there is a fire we swiftly respond via fire departments and departments of forestry in order to extinguish it no matter the size. I would have to say there is no point in wasting valuable resources on suppressing a fire that will do more good to the environment than harm. By allowing small fires to burn, or even use prescribed burns, we can manage the amount of fuel for future fires in an area and greatly reduce the chances that a “large” fire will occur and destroy houses and lives.
I feel that if the general public were to know more about the benefits of fire, everyone would be better off; citizens and the environment. I think we need consider the facts of each fire, and determine whether it should be a priority to suppress it. Most people would be happy to know that we would also save money by switching to a system like this. Perhaps someday we will consider it.
National Interagency Fire Center, http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm
1 comment:
I completely agree with the idea here. I suppose it helps to be a natural resources/ecosystem restoration student with a more in-depth knowledge (than the average individual) of the ecosystem services and successional pathways provided by a fire regime.
Another aspect that is tough for me is that i tend to have a natural philosophy of this earth and its inhabitants. In other words why are we so much more important than all of species on this planet. Yes we have technology and are somewhat smart, but as we know this has only led to more destruction. Do you think any other species with a nest/home/structure has a way to put out the fire or move it? No, it's a natural process that we must deal with and if it happens to threat a structure, better flee and hope for the best. Of course nowadays some situations can't be ignored if a fire threatens to wipe out a suburb or neighborhood. Yet the "almighty" average American knows nothing of it and only lives in fear that it may get in THEIR way or damage THEIR belongings. This is unlikely to change anytime soon sadly and only possible through outreach from like-minded people.
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