Wildfire
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As large fires have spread across the West in recent decades, we hear increasing demands to reduce fuels—typically through logging. But logging won’t reduce the large fires we are experiencing because fuels do not drive large fires. You can have tons of fuel per acre as occurs in Oregon’s Coast Range or the Olympic Mountains…
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Beaver Creek Fire descends onto Idaho resorts towns from the west- Talking with Hailey resident Jon Marvel early last week about the huge Elk Creek and Pony wildfires blazing northeast of Boise, Idaho, he said “Watch the Beaver Creek Fire, especially as the weekend arrives.” The weekend came with the predicted winds and a stampeding…
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A lightning storm that passed through the foothills of southern Idaho ignited a series of fires that have burned 298,384 acres of forest and sagebrush steppe. The McCan (23,860 acres), Beaver Creek (32,211 acres), Pony Complex (143,900 acres), and Elk Complex (98,413 acres) fires all started on Thursday, August 8 and quickly grew. They burned structures, closed Highway 20…
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Former chair of the U of Montana Economics Department, Tom Power, often noted that most rural communities in the West see their economies in a rear view mirror. They have no idea of what is driving their current economy, and often continue to support economic activities that may be detrimental to the new unfolding economic…
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Pocatello, Idaho. Thirteen months ago residents at the south end of Pocatello suffered from the Charlotte Fire, just off of Mink Creek. Sixty-six homes burned. On 27th this year, smoke erupted from near the same area, causing some brief concern. It turned out instead to be a burn in Lead Draw. Lead Draw is in the…
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Early wildfire starts in central Idaho bode for fire until October- Stanley, ID. Forest fire season in Idaho used to be August and September with many years with no forest fires of note. Now the fires begin in mid-July and burn until mid-October. Like last year, fires have already broken out, such as the Road…
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Revisiting Fire History Studies One of the cornerstones of current forest policy is the assumption that western forests are outside of their “normal” density and appearance or what is termed “historic variability” due a hundred years of mismanagement that included logging of old growth, fire suppression, and livestock grazing. This idea has been used to…
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Black Forest Colorado fire destroys almost 400 homes- – – – – – – Update: On June 20 the Black Forest fire was contained after 500 houses had burned. RM – – – – – – The first day of summer is just about here, and wildfires are breaking out across much of the Western…