tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27549167.post5224586446874165022..comments2023-09-25T06:48:48.316-06:00Comments on Magic Valley Mormon: Australia's Fire - Preventable?Cameronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06016275707476655364noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27549167.post-24572445218800487202009-02-26T12:59:00.000-07:002009-02-26T12:59:00.000-07:00I just read your other fire post. Many things have...I just read your other fire post. Many things have led to the hotter and larger fires of the past 5 or so years. In Utah and most of the Western US a large part of the problem is the logging industries practice of taking out the old growth trees that typically don't burn, leaving the smaller less protected trees. <BR/><BR/>The policy of putting out every fire for the last 100 years I believe is the biggest reason for the fires we are seeing today. Many of the forests in the Western US have a history of burning regularly, these fires were smaller and mainly cleared out the underbrush. Not allowing fires to burn has increased the fuel load. Grazing is not an answer, most of the fuel load is ignored by domestic grazing animals. <BR/><BR/>We do need to allow the under brush to be cleared and some Utah communities are working with the State on doing that. <BR/><BR/>To blame it all on one group or another (Im not saying you are) such as the logging industry or the environmentalist is the wrong way to look at it. There are was of reducing the fire risk and hopefully reducing the large, hot fires that are environmentally friendly, while still allowing residents to clear brush and loggers to cut trees.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01547861717104907210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27549167.post-64853207839906910732009-02-16T09:06:00.000-07:002009-02-16T09:06:00.000-07:00The problem was that the fire was so hot and sprea...The problem was that the fire was so hot and spread so quickly that it killed people. In the article I linked to the local fire chief was quoted as saying that even if he had had more firemen available, it would have only resulted in more dead firemen.<BR/><BR/>By clearing out the dead undergrowth that serves as fuel, the fires would be less severe and less deadly.Cameronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06016275707476655364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27549167.post-57809811163111890772009-02-14T17:12:00.000-07:002009-02-14T17:12:00.000-07:00Excellent thoughts. I had heard about possible ar...Excellent thoughts. I had heard about possible arson, but not about the environmental restrictions in Australia.<BR/><BR/>I had a similar take on the <A HREF="http://economicspolitics.blogspot.com/2007/11/environmentalist-catastrophe-in.html" REL="nofollow">California wildfires just over a year ago.</A>Frank Stahelihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01822334061980912687noreply@blogger.com