More humid weather and slightly cooler temperatures are helping firefighters get a handle on California fires, according to media reports like this AP story which appeared in yesterday's Los Angeles Times. But concerns about fire prevention, suppression and associated costs won't die out soon.
A recent article in the Trukee Times said Tahoe residents were forewarned about fire danger. The Tahoe blaze was the most damaging in the state so far this year, with about 250 homes destroyed.
The report said the seeds of the fire threat at Lake Tahoe date back to the Comstock era, when miners stripped the Sierra basin of fire-hardy Jeffrey and sugar pines, giving way to a weaker and less fire-resistant species. The reporter, Sevil Omer, went to UC Cooperative Extension natural resources farm advisor Susan Kocher, for comment.
"Fire is a natural part of the forest ecosystem, and we have replaced that natural process with fire suppression," Kocher is quoted.
UC ANR issued a news release this week about an online tool kit offered by UC Berkeley to homeowners living in wildland areas. The interactive program helps users assess the risk of wildfire damage to their houses and communities. Among the publications to pick up the story was Yreka's Siskoyou Daily News.
