Fire
Native Americans are the first recorded users of fire. Spanish explorers and missionaries learned it from them. It became a very valuable tool. Native Americans used fire to cook, to clear areas of the woods, and to maintain the grasslands they used for hunting. They were very careful with fire and respectful of its power. Settlers followed this practice, and used fire to clear the land to plant crops. Fire can be very helpful, but it can also be deadly. Wildfires can be started intentionally or the result of negligence. They can burn out of control in no time if the conditions are right. Wind plays a huge role in whether a fire will be contained or if it will continue to spread.
The first major natural forest burning in the United States took place in 1910. This fire burned over 500,000 acres in Montana and Idaho. This led to fire safety being looked into. It wasn’t until 1916 that the United States National Park Service established policies regarding forest fires. Promoting the prevention of forest fires became well publicized in 1945 with the introduction of Smokey the Bear. He continues to be their mascot today. By spreading the message of the risk of fires, the National Park Service decides in 1969 to allow fires to be used for cooking only.
The reality of controlled fires burning out of control takes place in Yellowstone National Park in 1982. 2.2 million acres are burned, severely upsetting the balance of wildlife and plant life residing there.
Today, wildfires continue to be a concern in several regions. There are three types of wildfires. Surface fires are not very intense. They often do not reach high temperatures. They do not present a large danger. Crown fires generally occur in the higher elevation trees. The burning trees turn allow the fire to spread quickly. As the burning branches fall, other brush and debris catch on fire, spreading it even faster. Ground fires are very intense blazes that burn the vegetation and other growth completely. The fire burns so hot and so deep that the area may never grow again. If it does, it will take a long time, and the growth there will not be very healthy.
Vegetation can adapt to wildfire. There are types of pine trees that hold seeds inside of the cones. When the cone melts from the wildfires, the seeds are released. This allows them to be able to continue reproducing regardless of the effects of the fire.
