5 ms·
To avoid liability the USFS lets fires in the summer burn since they won't be responsible for it if it gets out of hand. Watch out for statements like "we can't
by usernameistoolo 3y ago
To avoid liability the USFS lets fires in the summer burn since they won't be responsible for it if it gets out of hand. Watch out for statements like "we can't find it" (said after a fire tower had sighted it directly) or "the terrain is too steep" (when retirement-age locals had walked right up to it). They'll only start fighting it if it starts to move near communities. Just a couple of years ago near me the fire they let burn suddenly blew up in a wind event and killed 5 people. Last year I nearly had the town I live near get burnt up because of the same tactic, had there been a sudden wind event (common here in Fall) I probably would have lost my house.
The state doesn't like these tactics from what I've heard, but they really dont have much say since it's Federal land.
Something else I found out by living in fire country is that the USFS will say anything to make themselves look better. I mean complete lies. They'll greatly exaggerate the number of helis working on a fire, when they're working and how many loads they'll drop. The fire containment line they just set up was actually a contentious logging job they'd been trying to get through the past year, which cut resilient old growth and was never used as a containment line. The firefighters will rob your house too and USFS will help keep it quiet.
/rant
- hodgesrm 3y agoIn my limited experience dealing with the USFS on backcountry trips the org is choked with bureaucracy and completely ineffective at basic management. I remember one trip to Mt Adams where we had to register at least 3 different ways for a climb, including one that required internet access from the backcountry ranger station with virtually no connectivity. You couldn't just go up to the ranger sitting at the window doing nothing and handle the registration directly.
- coryrc 3y ago> had there been a sudden wind event (common here in Fall) I probably would have lost my house. You should have. You're the reason for the problem. Stop building houses out of flammable materials in forests that need to regularly burn!
- jduebdg 3y agoDepending on your state, there may not be many houses not vulnerable to forest fires. The 2020 fires in Oregon cery well could have burned their 2nd largest city. Also consider that many of these forests are only here now because of modern forestry practices.
- Clubber 3y ago>Something else I found out by living in fire country is that the USFS will say anything to make themselves look better. I mean complete lies. Unfortunately that seems to be the standard for government agencies in the US these days. The machine protects itself.
- mistrial9 3y agotry the book "Scorched Worth" by Joel Engel. pointers to more documented cases welcome