Posted on 12/26/2006 12:49:04 PM PST by NormsRevenge
"Another factor in the larger fires, said Swetnam, is that after a century of fighting wildfires, fuel is building up in the nation's forests."
Yes, in times long ago when nature started forest fires and there was no U.S. national forestry service they burned themselves out, in time. And then when the next dry/warming cycle came there were some areas with less dense growth and thus more smaller fires, and fewer big fires, in those areas - sometimes.
Now, we intervene at almost every fire, the forests that remain get more dense and when the major drying cycle hits, we have saved more fuel for it to burn.
"Laboratory of Tree Ring Research"
Has a nice tree to it.
Of course more fires have nothing to do with the fact we don't keep the forest as clean as we used to thanks to the greenies.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.