In the last decade or so the west coast has seen many destructive wildfires. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed as well as personal property. Some of us see it first hand, however most of us see the destruction on the news. Wildfire has caused thousands untold heartache.
It begs the question: Is fire a good thing or a bad thing?
On the surface it would seem that the answer is emphatically NO! The evidence says that it isn't a good thing. After all look at the evidence. The California and Colorado fires have burned hundreds of homes. Last year the forest fires were some of the largest in history. On some days fire growth was as large as 30-40,000 acres, in one day. That happened numerous times last year. Based on this and much more evidence it seems open and shut case that fire is bad.
But is it?
Consider this: There are fires out there that do not destroy property, home, or the outdoors we all like to play in. These fires are "managed". What that means is that they let the fire burn to "accomplish management resources". The fire is allowed to burn, but in a controlled way. The fire consumes all the timber litter, such as down rotting tree's, grass, stumps, and other surface debris. When done properly it leaves a nice clean burn. And it is actually good for the forest. The Soot and ash from the fire puts needed nutrients back into the ground. The next spring the forest floor is so beautiful.
So the answer to the above question is yes and no. Most of the fires we see in the news are bad. On the other hand fire in the right environment it can be a very good thing.
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