Wildfires: What we don't want to know
At latest count, there were 9 major forest fires raging in Colorado, and at least 19 in the western states. Drought conditions have made the wood in trees so dry it holds less moisture than the lumber in lumber yards. This map of the U.S. produced by several agencies shows how wide-spread and how seious these conditions are. Temperatures in the 90s and winds that shift and change in the fire areas make these fires very dangerous to fight and they are explosive, with massive fronts of flame and smoke. Firefighters are often warned away from the frontal assaults - no one wants to lose firefighters. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their houses in the pines and their dream homes in subdivisions around mountain lakes.
The strategy of firefighters, during those times when conditions permit them to work an area, is to clear out containment lines ahead of the fire to keep flames away from houses and businesses. When they say a fire is 25% contained, that 25% is a broken line on the perimeter where development has occurred.
This morning I heard the latest count of about 200 homes plus many more outbuildings burned down to the foundation. If I had a home in the mountains in the path of one of those monstrous fires, I would be ever so grateful for the courage and hard work of the people on the line.
The unmistakable fact, though, is that these wildfires are too huge to control, given the current conditions. It is only the first day of summer, and the largest fires burning now may not be out until snow falls, though they will be fully contained at some point. The Hayman fire west of Colorado Springs and Denver is about 137,000 acres (roughly 160 sq. miles) and about 90% contained. The Missionary Ridge fire north of Durango is about 70,000 acres and still growing. If you want to see the progress of these fires, here is a Forest Service web site with maps and the most current information available. You can also see photos of the fires on this site.
The part we don't want to know is that the wildlife and plantlife in those areas is being devastated. I know that burned areas eventually rejuvenate, although I have heard that, if the soil crust is burned with enough heat, it will take a very long time to return. The only
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