Why Doesn't the Forest Service Just....

Originally posted by: jooksing
why do people build homes in those areas and do nothing to clear the brush until its too late? they should levy a tax on them cuz it's costing a ton of money to fight these fires every season.

You are aware of the giant drought thats been going on the past couple years, right? And the fact that these fires are because we prevented them before...they are SUPPOSED to happen naturally to clear away the forest and let it grow. Instead, we stop them before they run their course. Its not just the people living there.

 

[TheSavage]

Originally posted by: jooksing
why do people build homes in those areas and do nothing to clear the brush until its too late? they should levy a tax on them cuz it's costing a ton of money to fight these fires every season.

Yes, it does cost a ton of money to fight thes fires. I live in the forest. With drought and bark beetle infestation having killed 40% of the trees in my area, the fire prospects are high. Community wise, the forest service will not let us go cut trees. As individuals, we can and are encouraged to. The downed trees will be hauled off to the Navajo Reservation, where there are no trees and the fuel is needed.

 

[Leejai]

With Trees being the oldest living organisms on earth, i'm suprised they've yet to evolve to be fireproof. After all, if man can evolve from monkey to metrosexual....it can happen...

 

Originally posted by: Leejai
With Trees being the oldest living organisms on earth, i'm suprised they've yet to evolve to be fireproof. After all, if man can evolve from monkey to metrosexual....it can happen...

steel isnt fireproof, nor is concrete...

 

[Vic]

The real problem is that forest fires are perfectly natural. It's nature's method for creating better forests. It is human intervention (fire fighting) that has made our forests fire-prone (with rampant uncontrolled underbrush), weak, and disease-infested, and thus prone to even more catastrophic fires.

 

[waggy]

what i want to know is why don't they have controlled fires to get ride of the under bush? well i know the environmentalist would have a hissy fit but it would save acres of old growth woods.

I don't care about the houses. they can be rebuilt. but the old growth woods are priceless.

 

Originally posted by: waggy
what i want to know is why don't they have controlled fires to get ride of the under bush? well i know the environmentalist would have a hissy fit but it would save acres of old growth woods.

I don't care about the houses. they can be rebuilt. but the old growth woods are priceless.

they do, but they cant do it enough, quickly enough, or safe enough for all situations. Controlled burns are very difficult to set up, especially in the setting of the forest with TONS of underbrush, as it can go wrong VERY quickly.

 

[TheSavage]

Originally posted by: FallenHero

Originally posted by: waggy
what i want to know is why don't they have controlled fires to get ride of the under bush? well i know the environmentalist would have a hissy fit but it would save acres of old growth woods.

I don't care about the houses. they can be rebuilt. but the old growth woods are priceless.

they do, but they cant do it enough, quickly enough, or safe enough for all situations. Controlled burns are very difficult to set up, especially in the setting of the forest with TONS of underbrush, as it can go wrong VERY quickly.

It just went wrong at Grand Canyon. A controlled burn jumped the fire line.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: FallenHero

Originally posted by: waggy
what i want to know is why don't they have controlled fires to get ride of the under bush? well i know the environmentalist would have a hissy fit but it would save acres of old growth woods.

I don't care about the houses. they can be rebuilt. but the old growth woods are priceless.

they do, but they cant do it enough, quickly enough, or safe enough for all situations. Controlled burns are very difficult to set up, especially in the setting of the forest with TONS of underbrush, as it can go wrong VERY quickly.

Instead of controlled burns, i.e. unnatural one where the forest service starts the fire, they should just let natural lightning strikes burns go.
But alas, someone owns the trees that would burn, and firefighting is big business.

 

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: FallenHero

Originally posted by: waggy
what i want to know is why don't they have controlled fires to get ride of the under bush? well i know the environmentalist would have a hissy fit but it would save acres of old growth woods.

I don't care about the houses. they can be rebuilt. but the old growth woods are priceless.

they do, but they cant do it enough, quickly enough, or safe enough for all situations. Controlled burns are very difficult to set up, especially in the setting of the forest with TONS of underbrush, as it can go wrong VERY quickly.

Instead of controlled burns, i.e. unnatural one where the forest service starts the fire, they should just let natural lightning strikes burns go.
But alas, someone owns the trees that would burn, and firefighting is big business.

Firefighting a big business? They don't exactly make money by going out there...

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: FallenHero

Originally posted by: waggy
what i want to know is why don't they have controlled fires to get ride of the under bush? well i know the environmentalist would have a hissy fit but it would save acres of old growth woods.

I don't care about the houses. they can be rebuilt. but the old growth woods are priceless.

they do, but they cant do it enough, quickly enough, or safe enough for all situations. Controlled burns are very difficult to set up, especially in the setting of the forest with TONS of underbrush, as it can go wrong VERY quickly.

ahh i see.

I read a report stateing in CA that they could not do the controlled burns.

i am not suprised it could be hard to control. while in high school i worked at the local preserve and we did burns all the time. Granted if they got out of control it was not a huge risk.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: FallenHero
Firefighting a big business? They don't exactly make money by going out there...

Huh? You're kidding right? The National Forest Service doesn't do the firefighting, that is done by contractors. Who make BIG money and wield a lot of political influence. Out west here, being a forest firefighter is a high-paying adventurous job for college-age kids. Kind of like hopping on a fishing boat in Alaska.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: FallenHero
Firefighting a big business? They don't exactly make money by going out there...

Huh? You're kidding right? The National Forest Service doesn't do the firefighting, that is done by contractors. Who make BIG money and wield a lot of political influence. Out west here, being a forest firefighter is a high-paying adventurous job for college-age kids. Kind of like hopping on a fishing boat in Alaska.

yeap i had a brother-in-law that did it. he made pretty good money

 

[TheSavage]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: FallenHero
Firefighting a big business? They don't exactly make money by going out there...

Huh? You're kidding right? The National Forest Service doesn't do the firefighting, that is done by contractors. Who make BIG money and wield a lot of political influence. Out west here, being a forest firefighter is a high-paying adventurous job for college-age kids. Kind of like hopping on a fishing boat in Alaska.

Ever heard the rumor about not reporting fires until 4:30 pm when your shift ends at 5:00? That way, you can collect hazard pay for the day, and still not have to go out to the fire?

And yes, firefighting is a HUGE business.

 

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: FallenHero
Firefighting a big business? They don't exactly make money by going out there...

Huh? You're kidding right? The National Forest Service doesn't do the firefighting, that is done by contractors. Who make BIG money and wield a lot of political influence. Out west here, being a forest firefighter is a high-paying adventurous job for college-age kids. Kind of like hopping on a fishing boat in Alaska.

...I cant find any of the names of the businesses though

All Ive read is that the various forest services hire out...you got ANY links at all?

 

[Gooberlx2]

With drought and bark beetle infestation having killed 40% of the trees in my area, the fire prospects are high.

I wonder how much of the beetle infestation is a result of preventing natural seasonal fires from happening in the first place. Had the forest been allowed to burn down then there'd be no habitat for those beetles, thus they'd die or move on.

:-/