New Big Bear Fire!

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#1

Whoa! We already have an out-of-control fire in Big Bear, even though there’s still snow on the ground!

As I understand it, a “controlled fire”, set to get rid of some dead trees killed by the bark beetle infestation, got out of hand. The Bear Mountain and Snow Summit ski areas have been evacuated. One ski patrol hut has been burned so far.

I don’t know how close the fire is to the PCT. Sugarloaf and Moonridge residents have been told to prepare to evacuate. The fire has burned 200 acres so far, and is 20% contained.

For more information, try:

http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/8640107p-9568113c.html
http://www.sbsun.com/
http://www.kbhr933.com/newslocal.html
http://www.bigbeargrizzly.net/

Craig “Computer” Rogers

#2

marshmellows, unbutton your down jacket, and enjoy the glowing twigs before they go out.

Level Head

#3

The ski resorts can only cut down so many trees for ski runs, and now a controlled burn gets out of hand???And burns ridges that can be used later for ski runs??? How much money did it cost for the “controlled burn” to burn a few more slopes??? just wondering,do i get a cut to stay quiet? I hope so,or Guido may break my legs,see u on the trail,or in the hospital…lolol lmao

dahmer

#4

The “controlled burn” was set by the Forest Service. I don’t
think the ski resorts will gain additional acreage from it. :slight_smile: However, some of the residents near the fire are asking whether the Forest Service made proper notification before starting.

According an update on the SacBee website, only 10 acres burned outside the Forest Service’s intended burn area. Full containment is expected by 1800 PST today.

Craig “Computer” Rogers

#5

just bloody great. the 2003 fires had so much fuel because so many residents oppose controlled burns and have fought them in the past. why do they oppose them? they’re afraid of exactly what’s just happened. look for massive fires again in a couple decades (or sooner).

tarbubble

#6

Do you know why some people oppose controlled burns??Controlled burns change the natural ecosystem of the forest.Do you want to hike in the woods or in a park with trees?Have you ever hiked thru a area a year after a forest fire?There is real beauty there if you can open your eyes to see it.Mother nature does a much better job of “controling” things than man does IMHO.

newb

#7

Here’s what I’ve seen on the Web: The fire (the Santa Ana Presceibed Burn) has burned less than thought, but is harder to contain than thought (due to the rugged terrain). The current containment estimat is Saturday at 1800.

Both ski areas (Bear Mtn. and Snow Summit) will be open Saturday, and no residents were forced to evacuate.

In other words, everything’s returning to normal, except for smoke/ashfall/stinging eyes/etc.

Craig “Computer” Rogers

#8

i never said that nature didn’t do a better job. but we humans have been suppressing natural burns for as long as we’ve been able to, resulting in an overgrown forest that was then weakened by drought and was in the process of being killed off by an invading parasite. i was in the San Bernardinos last September, a month before the fires. i hadn’t been there in a few years and was STUNNED at the massive amounts of dead trees. the forest was a tinderbox because humans suppressed natural fires and didn’t conduct enough controlled burns. CA chaparral is meant to burn about every 7 years. so yeah, nature manages herself pretty well. but we haven’t been letting her, and as a result we had an inferno. my earlier post was a sigh of despair over our general failure to work well with nature.

tarbubble

#9

It is well documented that historical logging is the culprit of overly dense forests. Most of the fires in SoCal weren’t because the forests were thick anyway, but because people started them! Of course, then, the amount of fuel let the fires get so big they were hard or impossible to control. Logging lobbies would like everyone to believe that they are the saviors, and depend on the density arguement to get government sponsored business (see the so-called “healthy forest inniative”), even though it is largely their fault that the forests were clearcut three or four times. The forest service inacted its fire suppression methods to preserve future timber harvests by logging companies. Business has made a real mess out of the forests!

I make every attempt to avoid supporting the logging industry. They will never stop ruining our forests and forest communities as long as there is a buck to be made. Its a messy issue indeed, with loggers and politicians being the only winners. I’m going to help change this in November.

Tha Wookie