Word from the fire lines is that much of acreage of the Las Conchas fire burning near Los Alamos, NM consists of ground fire only – i.e not in the crowns of the trees.
Why is this? Starting in 1977, several very large fires burned the excessively thick growth and ground cover out – leaving a thinner, healthier forest. Now that those same areas are burning again, the fire simply clears out the litter on the forest floor, and scorches only the outer bark of the trees.
Smokey The Bear was responsible for the earlier catastrophic crown fires, but as his legacy burns – the forest returns to a healthier state.
Is any of the fire covering the same area as the “controlled burn” of about a dozen years ago that got out of control?
OT
The expected media bias against Michele Bachmann
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl_eFT3LcnU
Smokey’s legacy has been partially disregarded in Australia. Where extensive turnoffs in undergrowth were previously carried out in areas of high risk, green policies have seen that it,s better to have a “pristine environment”.
There were devastating fires a couple of years ago in the state of Victoria Australia – many people were killed and injured as well as huge property loss.
Green environmental issues have been thrust to the fore as one of the failures of proper fire retardation practice. Court cases and inquiries into these fires are still be carried out. Legal action will be pointed at those responsible for non action.