Welcome to Hell!

By Mark W. Danielson

The mountains are a war zone, the enemy Mother Nature.  From the Rockies west, everything is at risk.  I have seen many wildfires while living in or flying over mountain areas and I have never seen a fire season start like this. 

One particularly bad fire, known as the West Fork Fire in south Colorado, has destroyed thousands of acres and sent billowing smoke clouds above 41000 feet.  Countless smaller fires surrounded the area with wind-whipped flames.  Although this region between Alamosa and Durango is relatively remote, homes and ski areas are either in jeopardy or have been destroyed.  The West Fork Fire came only days after the Black Forest Fire near Colorado Springs consumed some five hundred homes.  I happened to be flying abeam the West Fork Fire on my way across the country and snapped these shots from 38,000 feet.  I have never felt so helpless. 

 

For years, the Japanese beetle has been killing western pine forests.  Now, drought and extreme heat have turned these timberlands into kindling.  While lightning is responsible for many fires, some, like the Black Forest Fire, were man-made.  Regardless of how they start, every wildfire requires massive resources that we can neither afford nor have.

Of course, wildfires are not limited to the United States.  In the Australian outback, wildfires branch out in concentric circles.  From 35,000 feet at night, these fires resemble large cities.  Unless they threaten habitats, Australians leave it up to nature to extinguish them.  In some remote areas of the United States, the U.S. Forest Service also elects to do this because fire clears the underbrush and spawns new growth.  While this is not practical in developed areas, not allowing such burns has increased the risk of conflagrations such as the West Fork Fire.  These firestorms create their own weather patterns, often generating fire tornadoes that turn steel into butter and vaporize animals.  Extinguishing such fires in mountain regions is extremely hazardous, time consuming, and dependent upon Mother Nature’s cooperation.    

When the smoke eventually clears, a fire’s cause is only relevant to criminal proceedings.  No words can adequately describe an evacuee’s stress, especially when the fate of their pets or loved ones is unknown.  This summer promises more of the same – heat, drought, lighting, wildfires.  As in sports, our best defense is a good offense.  Please report all smoke.  Do not discard lit cigarette butts.  Only set off fireworks over water.  Most importantly, thank your first-responders for all that they do.  Firefighters may have down time, but when everything hits the fan, they lay down their lives for us.  Happy Independence Day! 

 

 

Firestorm!

By Mark W. Danielson

I may have recently left Colorado to build our retirement home in Texas, but I still fear for and empathize with our Colorado friends.  What is taking place there is the inevitable firestorm we all feared.  For years, the forests have been dying from the Japanese beetle infestation, and this year has been dry with record high temperatures.  Fueled by strong winds, the Rocky Mountain’s forests have become kindling, and the thousands of firefighters on scene are no match for nature’s fury.

Many years ago, I wrote a story called First on Scene.  It began with the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area and then went to the 1991 Oakland hills firestorm.  I have never tried to publish this book because publishers generally don’t care for books that use nature as the antagonist, but it was a real education nonetheless.  The Oakland hills fire, which stopped a mile from my parents’ house, killed 25, injured 150, destroyed 3,354 single family homes, 437 apartment and condominium units, and burned 1520 acres.  The economic loss was estimated at $1.5 billion.  Now, Colorado Springs is experiencing the same kind of conflagration in the fire’s seemingly unstoppable rampage.  Tens of thousands have had to evacuate their homes, businesses have been shut down, and yet this is only one of the Rocky Mountain fires that are burning out of control.

Even though there is nothing I can do and I had nothing to do with any of these fires, I watch the images feeling like a Titanic survivor.  The entire Front Range is choking in smoke and there is no relief in sight.  This summer promises to be a long one for anyone living in Colorado.  At best, they will get some rainfall.  Worst case, lightning will spark more fires.

Rightfully, these infernos have caused national interest.  People now realize that we are at war with nature – but we are also still at war in the Middle East.  Let’s keep our thoughts and prayers with all of those fighting for us, both here and overseas.  They truly need our support.