Talk to Us
As we enter the warmer drier months, our minds turn to thinking about fire dangers and what this season will bring. Let’s change our attitudes about what fires are and are not. Fires burn trees and homes. Fires are a way for the earth to renew itself. After a fire, some trees are totally burnt while others are left charred but living. Some, even as the redwoods do, rely on fires so that their seeds can drop to the ground and sprout to start the cycle of life over again. Very soon after the fire, beetles move into the burnt snags. This starts a renewal of life which welcomes back habitat and animals to the forest. Woodpeckers come to gorge on the beetle larvae. They make holes which bring in birds that use these for nests. The snags that fall feed the soil in which insects and plants can find a footing for life cycles. Soon larger animals appear. This all depends on leaving the forest to regrow on it’s own and not human interference.
Homes can also burn if they are near forests. What we can do to prevent loss of property and life is harden our homes against fires. First of all, choose wisely where you want to build or buy your home. Then use fire resistant materials. Building a log cabin in the middle of the woods may sound romantic but not practical. Older homes can be retrofitted with materials that don’t burn as quickly. Make sure the area around your home is clear of burnable materials. You can prevent embers from nearby trees from entering your home by installing ember proof vents. Fire-resistant roofing material can be used. Have a source to spray down your house with water. Lastly, to save lives if you need to, leave your house, have a plan for getting out in time.
We should be investing our forest-fighting dollars in preventing our towns and cities from being threatened by fires, not by working to clear forests and cut down life-sustaining trees, but rather investing in helping people secure their homes if and when fires come near.
Our forests will regrow and renew the environment if left to their cycle of life. Let’s think about the language we use that describe the fires: inferno, horrific, deadly. Rather, we can use descriptive words such as intense and fast/slow moving fire. Let’s help people live more safely with trees and forests rather than fear them. Forests sustain our atmosphere, stores carbon, keep temperatures lower, retain water, keep the land stable, provide habitat for animals, and bring us joy.
Judith Akins
Bellingham
