[pct-l] Fires.

[Junaid Dawud]

Hey Tortoise,

Yes, to be sure fire suppression is a major
contributing factor to large destructive fires. 
Indeed, fire is quite natural (necessary for some
trees to reproduce), and hikers do need to realize
that these things happen.  I just wanted to point out
another GW-PCT connection.  

This kind of reminds me of something I said to a
friend once:  "You know if you build a bunch of
houses, farms and cities around the base of a
stratovolcano, some times you die a little."

Luckily I haven't heard of any fatalities yet, (though
I did just drag my self out of bed a short while ago
at 2:30 pm Guam time, so there could certainly be new
developments.)

-----------Speshul41


--- Tortoise <Tortoise73 at charter.net> wrote:

> Granted, global warming and climate change is
> probably one contributing 
> factor.
> 
> Another major factor in the size and intensity of
> these fires is the 
> past century of fire suppression resulting in a huge
> build up of fuels 
> and lots of small trees which otherwise would be
> wiped out in more 
> frequent small fires. Most forests evolved with fire
> as part of their 
> life. Even then, some forests due have occasional
> almost total burns due 
> to species and environment.
> 
> The other major problem is all the houses and
> subdivisions built in 
> forests with the related expectation that we
> (government) should put out 
> fires to save their houses.
> 
> As hikers we need to accept that forests due burn.
> 
> Tortoise
> 
> <> He who finishes last, wins! <>
> 
> I switched to Mac OSX rather than fight Windows
> Using Mozilla Thunderbird 
> http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/
> 
> 
> 
> Junaid Dawud wrote:
> > I forget whether I mentioned fires specifically
> when
> > talking about the implications of Global Warming
> to
> > the Pacific Crest Trail.  I know I mentioned
> droughts,
> > which are widely expected to increase in
> distribution,
> > frequency and duration as Global Warming
> continues. 
> > Fires (as you've probably guessed) are more
> frequent
> > during times of drought, particularly long ones.  
> >
> > Just to be clear, I'm not saying that these fires
> are
> > a direct result of Global Warming. Rather I'm
> simply
> > pointing out that Global Warming will, on average,
> > create more days per year that have "good"
> conditions
> > for fires.
> >
> > Perhaps these fires will help some folks "connect
> the
> > dots" of Global Climate Change and the PCT.  
> >
> > I hope they get them out soon.
> >
> > -----------Speshul41
> >
> >
> >  
> >
>
____________________________________________________________________________________
> > Get your own web address.  
> > Have a HUGE year through Yahoo! Small Business.
> > http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/domains/?p=BESTDEAL
> > _______________________________________________
> > pct-l mailing list
> > pct-l at backcountry.net
> > unsubscribe or change options:
> > http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> >
> >   
> 



      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Park yourself in front of a world of choices in alternative vehicles. Visit the Yahoo! Auto Green Center.
http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/