It is mid-January as I am writing this. I look out at the pastures and crop fields here in the North Valley and I see the tans and browns that I have looked at since November. The tractors and the horses still kick up dust. What I don’t see is snow cover that replenishes our groundwater and fills the rivers and ponds that we depend on for our summer irrigation. It reminds me of other winters that have been dry, and the wildland fires that follow. March is usually a wetter month, so I hold out hope that we might get enough moisture to catch up to at least normal.
I have read the stories, seen the pictures and videos, of the devastation of the fires in the Los Angeles area. It is almost beyond belief how much has been destroyed in that densely populated urban area. I think of the large wildfires we have had here such as the Missionary Ridge and 416 fires. Homes were lost in the former, but none were lost in the latter thanks to heroic efforts of first responders.
These things make me wonder what lessons we can take from all these events to protect ourselves when the next one erupts, because it will at some point. That is now just a fact of life in the West. We cannot prevent lightning strikes or high winds. There are other things that we can prevent.
While we lost no homes in the 416, the firefighters had to spend more time, and risk, protecting homes than they should have. For too many people, fire mitigation seems to be a dirty word. I understand wanting trees and shrubs close to your home for the beauty and the wildlife they attract. But this also increases the risk of losing everything when fire breaks out. Insurance companies are dropping or not renewing coverage for houses that are not mitigated. (They are also dropping coverage or drastically raising rates for entire subdivisions or areas. But that is another subject.)
Whether in the back country, or in the backyard, we can pay attention to the conditions and pay attention to fire risk status. I have found campfires burning with no one around in the backcountry.
Don’t leave fires unattended and make sure they are completely out. Even a small ember can start a wildland fire. When there are Red Flag warnings, don’t burn. Make sure fires are contained and keep shovels and water close by.
Water is the most critical element we have. Without it, there is no life possible nor is there any chance of controlling wildland fires. Yet we use water here like there is plenty of it and always will be.
As our population grows, we need more water for domestic use. In parts of the county, people have had to haul water for personal use during dry years for a long time. More people in those areas will only exacerbate this.
Consider ways you can conserve water. Do you really need that patch of green grass that you water every day? Why not plant drought tolerant species? For things that do need watering, change your sprinklers to drip irrigation and time watering to the cooler parts of the day. There are many more recommendations that you can find with a simple internet search.
Whether in the urban core, the suburbs or the rural areas, we need to be proactive on fire prevention. As we have seen from the ongoing fires in LA, even cities can burn.
Scott Perez is a former working cowboy, guide and occasional actor. He earned a master’s degree in Natural Resource Management from Cornell University and lives in the Animas River Valley.
