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!
