In four pages this paper discusses wildfire prevention from a safety perspective. Five sources are cited in the bibliography.
Name of Research Paper File: CC6_KSecoWildfire.rtf
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has shown that some fire helps maintain forest health." It was established fact when I received my undergrad degree (botany) in 1980... Introduction
As has been the case in so many other areas, long ago we realized that the incidence of unpredictable, uncontrollable fire was something to be avoided whenever possible.
While this is true to an extent, avoidance carried to extremes is at least as bad, and quite possibly is far worse. Despite efforts to control the outbreak of
wildfires, the fact remains that severity of wildfires is increasing. Forty years ago, a 1,000-acre fire was classified as serious. During the particularly active fire seasons such as
that of 2000, "fire crews may battle dozens of 5,000-acre fires and leave the 1,000-acre ones to burn" (The blaze next time 5). Fuel Availability
The natural forest cycle is such that occasional fires "clear out" underbrush, weedy trees and accumulating grasses while aiding in the germination of the seeds of several tree
species. A destructive force only superficially, the ultimate effect is that of rejuvenation. Smaller, more frequent fires reduce accumulated fuel on the forest floor, preventing these more frequent
fires to reach unmanageable intensity. As white settlers moved into the fire zones of the West, it became desirable to prevent the occurrence
of these smaller, more frequent fires. "Initially, fire suppression was very successful because of low fuel loadings; but without fires to consume them, large fuel loads have accumulated over
time" (Grahame and Sisk). The federal government eventually took over the goal of preventing the natural occurrence of fire. Over 60 years