[Elecraft] (OT) Ca Fires

[Edward R Cole]

Wayne has described the issues with susceptibleness to wildfire, well.

In the last 100 years (or so) wildfire has been suppressed by man 
thus providing an increase in "fuel" growth.  Only in the last few 
years have forest scientist and managers modified this to allow 
natural fire to correct the issue.  BTW this betters the environment 
providing food for many species.  So even hunters are realizing the benefit.

The cited paper should give one a good perspective on this topic 
though it left out the spruce bark beetle invasion in Alaska.  Wild 
fire is a normal occurrence up here.

This summer a 160,000 acre fire burned about 50-miles east of me and 
closed traffic on the only road from the Kenai Peninsula to Anchorage 
with huge impact on truck traffic and tourists.  It also burned the 
high voltage intertie from Bradley Lake Dam to regions in Anchorage 
and north which supplies that low price power for a significant part 
of AK.  Fortunately most of the burned area was Nat'l forest with 
little human occupancy (unlike the situation in CA).

We've improved the fire situation around our home quite a lot by 
taking down trees close to the house and converting brush land to 
lawn.  We have just under 2 acres which is backed by wild forest land 
to the south.  FD even took out about five tall spruce along the road 
right-of-way for free.

My wife used to live in Simi Valley so well aware of the area 
impacted in SoCal.  I lived on the beach, valley, desert, and 
foothill area of LA (long ago).

73, Ed - KL7UW
   http://www.kl7uw.com
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