There is no question that much of Lake County has been on fire during the past few weeks. The Mendocino Complex fires have destroyed property and homes.
Studies have shown that more than 95 percent of the fires in California are caused by man. Just a careless act of mowing grass during the heat of the summer or other outdoor activities can result in a roaring wildfire. Lighted cigarette butts tossed out of car windows can result in a wildfire. A walk along any road in the county will reveal hundreds of cigarette butts.
There are steps that can be taken to reduce the chance of a wildfire and one is control burning. We often hear the term “control burning” but a lot of people don’t know what it entails. Just about all the control burning in the state is carried out by either the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), California Division of Forestry (CDF) or the U.S. Forest Service.
The purpose of control burning is to burn old brush, to create new habitat for wildlife, and to prevent huge wildfires by creating burn corridors that will slow or contain a wildfire. Most of the control burning takes place during the fall and winter months when the chance of the fire spreading is minimal.
The actual control burning is a simple affair. The managers of the forest lay out an area to be burned and a helicopter is rigged with a barrel containing a flammable jelly-like substance that is suspended by a cable. The jelly is set afire and the helicopter drags the barrel over the brush. There are also other control burn methods. The burned corridors are wide enough to prevent a wildfire from jumping them. Most control burns are laid out in a mosaic pattern — leaving cover for wildlife.
The cost to control burn is a pittance compared to the cost of fighting a wildfire such as the Ranch Fire, which is still burning after more than a month. The cost to fight the recent Ranch and River fires is estimated to be in the millions. The cost to control burn certain areas would be a fraction of this.
A good example is the recent River Fire, which evacuated Lakeport. That fire started between Ukiah Hopland and traveled east over the mountain to Lakeport. If there had been control burns, the fire would have gone nowhere.
Years ago Cow Mountain was control burned annually and wildfires were prevented. In addition, the control burns provided ideal habitat for the deer and other wildlife. The past 10 years Cow Mountain has become little more than giant brush pile and is a virtual desert in regard to wildlife. The brush is so old and thick very few animals can live there.
Why hasn’t control burning been done to protect the homes and property in the county, which would also provide habitat for wildlife? The answer is simple. The governmental agencies responsible for control burning can’t agree on when and how to do the burning. Just the process of getting an agreement on when to burn is mind boggling. First there has to be permission from Air Quality Control because of the smoke the fire will cause. Then BLM has to obtain funding. Coordination with CDF also must be done. There is also the fear of liability if the control burn turns into a wildfire. This results in the actual window of time when burning can be done being small. For example, year after year there are plans to control burn South Cow Mountain, but they are canceled at the last minute.
The only certainty is if control burning isn’t done nature will do it for us, and at a much greater cost, and that’s exactly what’s happened with the Ranch and River fires.
It’s not only Cow Mountain that needed to be controlled burned. Much of the nearby Mendocino National Forest needed it before the Ranch Fire tore through it. The U.S. Forest Service does limited control burning annually in the national forest, but it’s not enough.
Another wildfire deterrent is to require property owners to keep the grass and brush cut on their property. A drive around the county reveals huge areas that are overrun with head-high dead grass. The cities and county have ordinances that require property owners to keep their grass mowed but they are rarely enforced. If property owners fail to cut their grass after a warning, then the local government officials should hire a professional to cut it and charge the property owner.
Whereas wildfires may result in loss of property for humans they are a lifesaver for most wildlife. The canyons will once again be flowing with water and the green shrubs will sprout up everywhere. All wildlife from birds to insects benefit.
