Fire on Trails

[Irulan]

You'll be amazed at how fast the forest recovers in a year or two.

[spokewench]

Yep! It is horrific! I came home from Tucson (where they tell you nothing about other news in the state) and on the way back through Phoenix (21/2 hours away) and could see the horrible plume of smoke from Flagstaff.

My friend was up on the mountain around Shultz Pass on the north side of the mountain; she parked her car where there are great columbines so she could see the flowers, took off on her mountain bike; and then the fire started. They would not let her go back to get to her truck. It is probably gone now! Her son and many friends have been evacauted from one side of the highway. Her house is on the other side of the highway and has not yet been evacuated. My prayers are with her and all those who live out there! As, well as being with the forest. This is some of the most beautiful forest in our area - it is just sickening!

spoke

[katherine]

Oh goodness I hope everyone stays safe, trucks can be replaced, but not friends. This is awful. I hate the thought of the Dry Lake Hills burning.

[Irulan]

The famous Fisher-Williams loop, and the IMBA Epic Loon Lake, both in Idaho, burned in the big fire storms of 2005 and 07. A good portion of the wild land in Idaho burned in 05 and 07. Yes, it's terribly tragic: mismanaged forests (total suppression) combined with drought, plus an ever expanding urban/wildland interface ( read, everyone wants their nice little home in the woods) makes for all sorts of fire tragedy. Forest burn hotter and more severely than if the fires had not been suppressed for 100 years, home get burned, and yes, trail systems get burned up.

The forest has an amazing recovery system. Within 6 months after a severe burn, plants and wildlife return. Within two years, typically the only visible damage is burned snags. The only exception is when a fire is so hot ( from years of suppression) that is sterilizes the ground and makes it void of plant life and prone to severe erosion.

So ya it's a real bummer, but nature has a good way of recovering. As for the rest of it, that's why we buy insurance, and practice keeping a fire perimeter cleared around our houses, right?

[tzvia]

Oh, when I heard, my heart sank. I was out there on an MTB vacation last October and just loved it. I'm glad that no homes have gone up, (that seems to be our MO out here in So.Cal) so I know that feeling. Been lucky, though I live at the base of the Santa monica mountains on a hillside, the fires seem to start west of me and burn west towards the ocean. Fingers crossed that no one gets hurt and that it is put out quickly.

[bmccasland]

Here's a link to the fire information web site - it's the Schultz Fire
http://www.inciweb.org/state/3/
From there, click on the fire name to get more information on that particular fire. The "Unit" column is also clickable, which will just sort fires in that particular National Forest.

The page shows when information was last updated.

[chickabonita]

Sorry to hear about your beloved trails. I know just what you are feeling, here in So Cal we have had our fair share of devastating fires. Irulan is right, the land will heal itself in no time. Try to keep your chin up!