Re: Willow Fire Link is back!

I agree with Wizard. By suppressing fires throughout the U.S., we now have a huge buildup of fuel. So when fires hit, they are much worse than they ever were historically. Indians would periodically burn all of California to clear shrubs and stimulate new growth. Some trees like redwood don't reproduce without fires (the heat opens the seed shells). The larger trees could easily survive the fires. In Yosemite, the Miwoks burned the pine trees down so the oaks could thrive, being the provider of their main staple of food. The Deep Creek fire was severe, but now that the land has burned it won't happen again for many years, and the ecosystem is richer for it.