Fire

Fire History & Ecology Fire is a disturbance that renews forests Fire is a disturbance that renews forests Some tree species require fire to regenerate Some tree species require fire to regenerate Indigenous & early European use of fire Indigenous & early European use of fire Fire suppression policies of the Forest Service Fire suppression policies of the Forest Service

Significant Fires before 1900 Prairie Fires – 1804 & 1805 (reported by Lewis & Clark) Prairie Fires – 1804 & 1805 (reported by Lewis & Clark) Miramichi, New Brunswick & Maine Fires – October 1825 (160 deaths, 3 million acres) Miramichi, New Brunswick & Maine Fires – October 1825 (160 deaths, 3 million acres) Peshtigo, Wisconsin – October 1871 (approx. 1,500 deaths; 3.78 million acres) Peshtigo, Wisconsin – October 1871 (approx. 1,500 deaths; 3.78 million acres) Michigan’s lower peninsula – September 1881 (169 deaths, 3,000 structures lost, 2.5 million acres burned) Michigan’s lower peninsula – September 1881 (169 deaths, 3,000 structures lost, 2.5 million acres burned) Hinckley, Minnesota – September 1894 (418 deaths, several million acres were also burned in Wisconsin that month) Hinckley, Minnesota – September 1894 (418 deaths, several million acres were also burned in Wisconsin that month)

Significant Fires of the 20 th Century Fires of 1910 (Idaho & Montana) – August 1910 (85 deaths; 3 million acres) Fires of 1910 (Idaho & Montana) – August 1910 (85 deaths; 3 million acres) Tillamook Burn (Oregon) – August 1933 (burned again in 1939) Tillamook Burn (Oregon) – August 1933 (burned again in 1939) Mann Gulch (Montana) – 1949 (13 smokejumpers killed) Mann Gulch (Montana) – 1949 (13 smokejumpers killed) Yellowstone National Park – 1988 (1.58 million acres) Yellowstone National Park – 1988 (1.58 million acres) Oakland Hills (California) – October 1991 (25 deaths, 2,900 structures destroyed) Oakland Hills (California) – October 1991 (25 deaths, 2,900 structures destroyed)

Significant Fires this Century Cerro Grande Fire (New Mexico) – May 2000 Cerro Grande Fire (New Mexico) – May 2000 Hayman Fire (Colorado) – June 2002 Hayman Fire (Colorado) – June 2002 Cedar Fire (California) – October 2003 (15 deaths, 2,400 structures destroyed) Cedar Fire (California) – October 2003 (15 deaths, 2,400 structures destroyed) Taylor Complex (Alaska) – 2004 – 1.3 million acres (6.38 million acres burned in Alaska that year) Taylor Complex (Alaska) – 2004 – 1.3 million acres (6.38 million acres burned in Alaska that year) Northern California Lightning Series – Summer 2008 (1.2 million acres, 2,780 individual fires) Northern California Lightning Series – Summer 2008 (1.2 million acres, 2,780 individual fires)

Wildland Acres Burned:

Wildland Fire Statistics: ,632 recorded wildfires per year 77,632 recorded wildfires per year 6.8 million acres per year burned 6.8 million acres per year burned 22.5% of the fires were on federal land (12% on national forests) 22.5% of the fires were on federal land (12% on national forests) 61.2% of acres burned were on federal land (21.1% were on national forests) 61.2% of acres burned were on federal land (21.1% were on national forests)

Wildland Fire Statistics: % of wildfires were in the eastern U.S., but… 60.4% of wildfires were in the eastern U.S., but… 82.8% of the acres burned were in the western U.S. 82.8% of the acres burned were in the western U.S.

2011 Fires Arizona Arizona –More than 1 million acres burned in AZ –Wallow Fire  Apache & Sitgreaves N.F.  538,049 acres  Worst fire in Arizona history New Mexico New Mexico –1.3 million acres burned Photo: Kevin Anderson

2011 Fires Texas Texas –2.7 million acres burned –Extreme drought conditions over most of the state –Fires near Austin (Bastrop & Spicewood) in September Photo: Scott Armstrong

California Fires: Worst years: Worst years: 2003 (9,130 fires; 793,477 acres) 2006 (8,202 fires; 678,919 acres) 2007 (9,093 fires; 1,087,110 acres) 2008 (5,812 fires; 1,339,839 acres)

California Fires: Total Acres: 3,414,000 acres

California Fires: ,568,000 acres were national forests 1,568,000 acres were national forests 60% of the national forest land burned was tree covered (1,568,000 acres)60% of the national forest land burned was tree covered (1,568,000 acres) The remaining 40% (1,034,000 acres) was shrubland, grassland, rockland and desertThe remaining 40% (1,034,000 acres) was shrubland, grassland, rockland and desert 33% of the tree-covered land burned was deforested (517,000 acres) 33% of the tree-covered land burned was deforested (517,000 acres)

The Urban-Wildland Interface

Overstocked Stands

California Fires: San Bernardino National Forest San Bernardino National Forest Other threats from fire: Other threats from fire: Giant sequoiasGiant sequoias Lake Tahoe basinLake Tahoe basin

Potential Treatments “Let it burn” “Let it burn” Do nothing, then fight fire Do nothing, then fight fire Prescribed burning Prescribed burning Mechanical thinning Mechanical thinning Combination of mechanical thinning and prescribed burning Combination of mechanical thinning and prescribed burning

Quincy Library Group Quincy, California Quincy, California Lumber town surrounded by Plumas National Forest Lumber town surrounded by Plumas National Forest Economically distressed following spotted owl court decisions Economically distressed following spotted owl court decisions 1 st Meeting: st Meeting: 1992 Bill Coates (Plumas County supervisor)Bill Coates (Plumas County supervisor) Michael Jackson (environmental lawyer)Michael Jackson (environmental lawyer) Tom Nelson (forester, Sierra Pacific)Tom Nelson (forester, Sierra Pacific)

Who is the Quincy Library Group? “To some the Quincy Library Group is the savior of our national forests and valuable jobs. To others it is simply a lobbying group and for still more it is an evil organization intent on breaking environmental laws and destroying our timber lands.” Debra Moore (

Quincy Library Group Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery Act, 1998 Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery Act, 1998 Healthy Forest Restoration Act, 2003Healthy Forest Restoration Act, 2003 Antelope & Moonlight Fires of 2007 Antelope & Moonlight Fires of 2007 Treated areas under the QLG plan “had significantly reduced fire behavior and tree and soil impacts compared to untreated areas”Treated areas under the QLG plan “had significantly reduced fire behavior and tree and soil impacts compared to untreated areas” Lawsuits block much of the implementation of the QLC plan Lawsuits block much of the implementation of the QLC plan

Quincy Library Group Model for community-based initiatives to resolve conflict over national resources Model for community-based initiatives to resolve conflict over national resources Attempted to move decision-making from federal bureaucracy influenced by distant special interests to greater influence by local interests most effected by those decisions Attempted to move decision-making from federal bureaucracy influenced by distant special interests to greater influence by local interests most effected by those decisions John Wesley PowellJohn Wesley Powell