Where would mankind be without fire? Would we have survived without the warmth of flames? Without fire, would all humans be huddled around the Equator like a Championship Belt?
Besides warming us, sanitizing our food and medical gear, and moving us from place to place, fire is a friend to the environment too. But during the long, summer months of the fire season, wildfire seems like anything but a friend to man, animal, or land. I wrote about the first notable fire of the season in Idaho two months ago.
The lightening caused Tepee Springs Fire began on the morning of August 12, 2015. By the end of August this forest fire had blown up to 80,000 acres, caused the evacuation of ranches and small communities in its path and closed roads and campgrounds. Surging on ferocious winds, the fire grew by 30,000 acres in just one day, forcing firefighters to back down and closing the Salmon River to all fishing and rafting. The fire jumped the Salmon, a premier white-water rafting destination, stopping 109 rafters in their wakes and forcing them to wait for evacuation because the river and the roads out of the area were too dangerous for travel.
I recently drove along the Salmon River to the end of Forest Road 1614. Over two months after the initial spark, the roadblocks are gone and fishing has resumed. The still-burning fire is contained south of the river and continues to smog the air near and far, contributing to some pretty spectacular sunsets.
A ferry was originally placed in this location to accommodate mining travel between the boom towns of Florence and Warren, Idaho. In the 1930s the CCC constructed the Manning Crevice bridge at this location. As reported by Don McRitchie,
The span of the bridge is 240 ft. and it is 327 feet long between anchorages. It is supported by eight 1 1/2 in. diameter cables, and has a capacity of 16 tons. The wood guard rails act as stiffening trusses.
All I can say is that driving across this bridge was scarier than negotiating a boulder field solo with tired legs. Imagine negotiating this with massive fire fighting equipment and firefighters—with flames licking at your gas tank!
It is very hard to remember that despite the momentary devastation and discomfort fire brings, it is a natural element in the cycle of life. We and our drying climate have just provided it with an over-abundant amount of fuel.
Thom Hickey said:
Thanks for such a wonderfully evocative report. Awe has to be the response to the power of nature. Regards Thom.
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rangewriter said:
Yes, I guess fire is nature’s shock & awe campaign. As a child I used to be almost phobic about fire. Thanks for your support, Thom.
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Larry Mickelson said:
Well done.
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reneejohnsonwrites said:
A fire in the controlled environs of a fireplace or pit, is so soothing and nice, but let it get out of hand in a forest, and nothing is more frightening. Yet, the forest, as you point out, kind of likes it. Great piece on looking at the pros and cons.
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rangewriter said:
Thanks Renee. I grieve when wild fires break out because visions of Bambi flood my head. But I know it’s a natural process that keeps life balanced. It is very hard to reconcile those two ideas in my head.
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sybil said:
Wow I cannot imagine driving across that bridge …
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rangewriter said:
I must confess, I had to think long and hard. But, I knew that river rafting crews use the bridge, and fire crews, so I reasoned that just me and my Kia shouldn’t put too much strain on the thing. And then I was glad I did cross it because the adventure beyond was well worth it.
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wheremyfeetare said:
Great post about the good and bad about fire, Linda. Traveling out west to National parks the last couple of years, we saw the results of controlled fires. But the fires you describe are scary, even if they’ll result in new growth. I’ve always thought fire and water were both powerful and damaging.
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rangewriter said:
It’s true. I wouldn’t want to tangle with a flood any more than I would a fire. And floods also have their place in the natural sphere of things, but not the catastrophic floods we’re seeing lately. Our planet seems to be fighting back.
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Janes Heartsong said:
Well written! I just recently did a post on a burnt area that I hope you come and see on my blog. Interesting to see this from your perspective-must have been scary for those river travellers. Despite the devastation (when I saw some burnt area first hand I felt grief) I like that contrast between the burn area and the new shoots of green.When I look at the bigger picture, I realize that part of the cycle of creativity involves destruction.
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Susan said:
Nature is pretty amazing. Wonderful images all!
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rangewriter said:
Thank you, Susan. I appreciate your visits and comment.
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Dia said:
Great post Linda. I love that you headed back in there to photograph the aftermath, and that you dared to cross that bridge! Pretty brave. It’s amazing how the understanding of forest fires has changed over the last couple decades and how, after decades of suppression, we realized what a mistake that was. I admit, the size and ferocity of fires we’re seeing now is sobering. It seems unnatural at first, but then I have to remind myself that it’s just in response to excess fuel as you say, as well as hotter temps, drought, and other changes in climate. I do worry about our beautiful forests here in the west though and what all the changes will mean for them long term. Good reason to get out and love and appreciate the hell out of them now, as you so love to do! Wild thing.
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rangewriter said:
Fire really scares me. And wildfires make my stomach churn with visions of struggling wildlife. The Bambi effect, I guess. What will our forests look like in 50 years? It’s an interesting and scary thing to ponder. They will not be the forests you and I know and love. Hopefully, they will morph into some other kind of peace and beauty for future generations. (Even the idea of future generations is sobering. Perhaps a comet will wipe out our planet along with it’s stupid, warring inhabitants.)
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Dia said:
I have a friend in the neighborhood who spent a week one summer driving backroads in central Idaho with her son. I thought it sounded so cool until she told me about narrowly missing a wildfire burning that year that left fallen trees across the road needing a chainsaw to clear. Her son used to work the fire lines though so he was prepared. Yikes!
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rangewriter said:
That would undo me. I carry supplies, but no chainsaw! I’d simply have to back track and pray that the fire hadn’t closed in behind me.
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