The recent devastating wildfire at Lake Tahoe could easily happen here in Lake County. Like the area around Lake Tahoe, the hills in Lake County are tinder dry and all it takes is a careless smoker or a spark from machinery to touch off a massive wildfire in the county.
The sad part is that most wildfires can be prevented with just a little forethought and planning.
As the fires cool down in the Tahoe region, there has been a cry up and down the state for the government to better manage our forests and wildlands. Critics point out that if there had been control burning and the clearing out of the underbrush, the damage from the fires would have been considerably less.
Lake County is a perfect example. A wildland fire could devastate much of the county. The 60,000-acre Cow Mountain Recreation Area located on the outskirts of Lakeport is a sleeping giant just waiting to awaken. Much of Cow Mountain consists of bone-dry old chaparral. The area is much like it was back in 1982 when a small fire started in Mendocino County near Talmage. In only two days, the fire burned all the way over the mountain and into the outskirts of Lakeport.
While the damage to homes in that fire was minimal, the area has changed greatly since then. Dozens of new homes have been built on the rim of Cow Mountain in Scotts Valley. If the same fire occurred today, there could be a loss of life as well as property. Every year the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) comes out with a plan to control burn the south part of Cow Mountain, but there has been very little control burning since the 1982 fire.
Cow Mountain is also a virtual desert in regards to wildlife. The brush is so old and thick that very few animals actually live there. The other problem with Cow Mountain is that it is extremely popular with off-road users. On any given weekend there are dozens of motorcyclists using the area. All it would take is a spark to ignite a fire.
Control burns on wildlands create a tremendous amount of benefits for wildlife. Not only do they rejuvenate the brush and other foliage, but they also create more water. After a fire, just about every canyon will hold water. Streams will bubble up in areas previously dry.
Control burning is a cheap and very effective method of controlling unwanted brush. For example, the estimated cost to fight the Tahoe fire is $30-$50 million and that doesn”t include the approximately $100 million dollars in damage to homes and property.
Of course, there are other steps local residents and county government can do to reduce the fire hazard. Clearing debris around homes is a good example. Many of the residences in the county are built right up to the brush. Clearing a space around the homes will go a long way toward saving a home from a wildfire. The county also should require that all grass and brush be removed from vacant parcels located close to occupied homes.
For example, a four-acre property near my home has dry grass and brush. The absentee landowner has never cleared the area. A drive around the county will reveal dozens of parcels in the same condition. This is especially true in recent years when properties have been subdivided into one- and two-acre parcels. A county ordinance that requires all brush and grass be cleared (or the landowner will face monetary penalties) would not only save homes, it would save money by eliminating a potential fire for the local fire department to fight.
Common sense when camping or hiking in the woods also deters fires. Lighting up a cigarette while hiking is a ticket to disaster. The same applies to building a campfire in an unprotected area.
Lake County is one of the most beautiful areas in the state and it will remain that way with just a little care. The last thing we want to see is thousands of acres of dead trees.
