Wildfire watch

Friday, July 17, 2009

By Ben Cannon

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Forest Service and National Park officials hope early summer rains and a wetter-than-normal winter may have curbed the potential for a severe fire season this year.

However, heavy rain in spring and early summer can act as a double-edged sword: while it may boost ground moisture, rain also nourishes lush vegetation that, once cured in late-summer conditions, can fuel wildfires.

Grand Teton National Park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said frequent rains and high-stream flows may have put the area as much as one month behind average fire season conditions, which usually begin to worsen in July and August.
“I don’t think we’re going to have an above average fire season at this point,” said Skaggs. On Tuesday, Skaggs and other public land and fire authorities met with the Teton Interagency Fire Dispatch officers to discuss the Falling Ice Fire, still smoldering on Tuesday west of Leigh Lake, near the base of Mount Moran.

That fire, about a tenth of an acre in size, and two other small fires were ignited when a passing storm early Monday caused up to 500 bolts of lightning in the area.
Because the Falling Ice Fire was naturally contained between Leigh Lake and rock outcroppings around Mt. Moran, officials decided to monitor the fire without suppressing it.

Skaggs said cross-agency fire officials have observed high moisture contents in what they call “1,000-hour fuels,” or heavier fuels like felled, large trees on the ground.

“Those are actually pretty wet and full of moisture,” she said.
Some officials are concerned that wind and warmer temperatures, which can quickly dry out ground fuels, could lead to severe fires later in the summer.
“That’s what we’re thinking right now because we know these rains aren’t necessarily sustained,” said Bridger-Teton National Forest spokeswoman Mary Cernicek. “It’s normal for things to start drying out this part of the season,” she added.

Meanwhile, Teton County firefighters are looking for qualified residents living in wildfire-prone areas for fuel removal demonstrations.

Jackson Hole Fire and EMS officials will clear brush and dead fall and prune trees around three Teton County residences belonging to people otherwise unable, either physically or financially, to do it themselves.

“We want to reduce the fuel load to show that you can protect structures without having it look like the property’s been nuked,” said fire inspector Brian Coe. To nominate someone for the program, call 733-4732. JHW


PERMALINK:
Wildfire watch | Planet JH News Article: General News

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