Bryce Nielson
We have all spent a lot of time watching and worrying about
forest/wildfires. I have always said
that we were lucky because we normally are not affected by hurricanes and
tornados. I guess folks that live in
those areas don’t worry about wildfires.
In Utah, this year we had huge fires like the Dollar Fire by Strawberry Reservoir and the Pole Creek/Bald Mountain fires in central Utah. Here in Rich County we had the North Eden Fire on the east side of the lake.
In Utah, this year we had huge fires like the Dollar Fire by Strawberry Reservoir and the Pole Creek/Bald Mountain fires in central Utah. Here in Rich County we had the North Eden Fire on the east side of the lake.
Fires have always occurred in our local landscapes. They burned long before humans showed up and
have persisted until present day and they will never stop. I could go into detail about the ecological
benefits and negative aspects of wildfires but that is not my intent in this
column. There have been people around
the area that are concerned that we will may experience similar fires here in
Bear Lake like they recently had in California.
They hear the media discuss the buildup of debris and the lack of wood
removal from the forests contributing to the fires and feel something needs to
be done. There are three potential fire
types around Bear Lake.
Forest fires
occur in the higher altitude, pine/aspen complex. It is true that there is considerable ground
litter in these areas but it is a natural aspect of forests. It provides habitat for wildlife and builds
the soil as it decays. There are areas
that it has been addressed. Two years
ago the Forest Service and State Lands contracted with companies to remove the
underbrush behind Sweetwater Hill and Hodges Canyon in an effort to minimize
wildfire in these areas. To do it is
costly and labor intensive. A job I
would never want. It is then stacked up,
covered with plastic and burned some time later. That is where all the smoke was coming from a
week ago. They also have timber sales like
the one north of Beaver Mountain fire a few years ago. They are not popular because they are clear
cuts, trashed roads and lots of log trucks.
Brush Fires are
the most significant threat around Bear Lake.
They occur in the maple, mahogany, aspen, sage, bitterbrush, etc.
complex. This ecotype surrounds most of
the homes in the foothills. The primary
defense from this threat is to clear vegetation from around buildings. State Lands frequently will pick up and chip
piles of material cut and hauled out to the road in specified areas. Many people prefer the closeness of the trees
over the fire threat. Increased development
and human activity along the urban/wildland interface will increase fires in
the future.
Grass Fires burn
a lot of acres but typically don’t do significant damage. The North Eden Fire was a grass/sage
fire. Fire in these events are typically
fast moving. The main threats are grass
along the highway and agricultural areas.
You may have noticed the cleared bands at the base of Sweetwater and
Hodges. State land did this to prevent
grass fires from moving summer home areas above. UDOT also mows along right of ways to
minimize threats from road activity. The
biggest threat factor concerning fires are plant moisture content and
wind. When the right mixture occurs,
fires will burn.
We all know what to do to prevent fires. I am impressed with the amount of
preventative work State Lands, UDOT and the Forest has done around Bear
Lake. These areas are our home so we
need to understand fire threats and learn to live with them safely.
