mhagen wrote in message ...

snip


The Feds got the higher and more lightening prone ground. Less roads,
steeper slopes, way less personel to put out the fires, and a slough of
heavy fuels that really can't be reduced with either the environemtnal
rules or log costs as they are. Plus the fallout from preventing ground
fires for a century.

Also figuring into the mix is the downsizing of the Forest Service.
Field-going people ( GS-9 and lower ) were downsized during the 90's.
(However, GS-10's and above were "up-sized" during that same period)
With less personnel in the woods, fires tend to get rolling starts
before regular USFS firefighters get there. In the past, timber crews
often had more fire experience than engine crews. These days, many
Ranger Districts have no timber crews whatsoever, and are missing
people who are needed, especially during "lightning busts". Back in
'87, our Ranger District had 43 lightning fires in three days,
including one that was 27,000 acres. I was a temporary timbermarker
then and was pressed into service as a fire camp manager for 3 days.
After that, I fought fire in the wilderness area for three more days.
Loggers working USFS timber sales are also required to be "fire
ready", with testing of all their fire fighting equipment during the
project.



The interesting observation is why the national
parks have so much less fire. They have even less access and personel
than the Forest Service or BLM, are definitely up in lightning country
and have plenty of fuel. As far as I know, the Parks have only recently
gone to a "let it burn" policy for backcountry blazes.

There have been plenty of fires in National Parks. Everyone saw what
happened in Yellowstone but, two huge fires burned over all three
highways into Yosemite Valley back in '90. Stands of huge old growth
were killed in high intensity fires. Didn't last years McNally Fire
fire threaten Giant Sequoias in Sequoia National Park?


I'd expect a big change coming in fire suppression. Rather than
immediately dispatching personnel to all fires, I think the Feds may
"evaluate" conditions, locations and other factors before deciding
whether to put it out. While it sounds kind of scary, none of those
"let burn" areas will be close to private property or important
improvements.

Larry