Thread: Worst ahead for fires in West
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Old 18-02-2003, 04:52 PM
Larry Caldwell
 
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Default Worst ahead for fires in West
(caerbannog) writes:

It should be pointed out that fire-suppression policies did not
play a major role in the Yellowstone fires. Most of the forest
that burned there was high-elevation lodgepole pine or mixed
lodgepole-pine/subalpine-fire forest. Infrequent, high-intensity
crown fires are the norm there.

You are mistaken. Yellowstone is the result of decades of fire
suppression. The big Yellowstone fire was an exception. The park
management was concerned about fuel loads, so decided to let it burn. It
got away from them, and the result made national headlines.

Lodgepole pines have evolved a "burn hotter than hell and
incinerate the competition, then grow back real fast"
wildfire strategy.

Just about the whole West enjoys a fire climax ecology of some sort.

In Yellowstone, the lodgepoles are growing back like crazy
in the burned-over areas, and are doing so without the assistance
of timber-industry "stewardship".

Time to burn them again, before they build up another huge fuel load.
Lodgepole will sprout thick as the hair on a dog. Most of them need to
be killed off.

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