In a comment to my post about last Sunday’s walk, Catherine said it was sad that the trees were only dead sticks. We agree. The area was gorgeous before the fire.
June 2009
Two years before the fire.
June 2019
Eight years after the fire.
June 2009
Two years before the fire.
June 2019
Two years before the fire.
June 2019
Eight years after the fire.
June 15, 2019
such an incredibly sad waste.
and yet we still decimate rain forests at that rate too.
at least your fire was caused by lightening as I recall? or was it arson?
I can’t remember. if it was arson I hope the culprits are still in prison!
It was a combination of years of fire suppression (so the forests were overgrown), the drought which made the forests a “tinderbox waiting for a match”, high winds, and a fluke accident. A tall aspen tree was blown down by the wind and just made it through some trees between it and a power line. Once it hit the power line the fire started.
That makes me so sad. I can’t imagine seeing the fire damage every day, but I suppose there are signs of new life for those who are looking for it…
Yes, we spent some time mourning but decided not to take the insurance money and move elsewhere. We had already had the land 35 years and decided to stick with it. Kaitlin and Torben love it even now, which is a big plus.
It’s a good example of learning to love the weeds.
well there is that…small signs of new life among the “sticks” – of course, that is only from those who are right in amongst the wood…
and as you have mentioned, lack of attention to the green belt even before the fire/s…
They used to think all forest fires were bad. Now they realize no fire/thinning is unhealthy for the trees because when fires come they’re extremely intense. They’re now trying to controlled burns to mimic the natural ecosystem.
I keep reminding myself there are plants that only grow where a fire has cleared off everything.
That mainly works when the fires aren’t too intense, like ours was.
Wow, that does make a big difference.
It’s amazing, isn’t it? Especially since it has now been 8 years since the fire.
What a beautiful area I see in your photos. Gather you were victimized by a forest fire which I truly regret.
Yes, wildfires are a big problem here in the west because of the drought.
And trees are of course great carbon absorbers. We need many more of them and it’s tragic when so many are lost in wildfires. Northern Ireland has few trees compared to other countries and the Woodland Trust has an ongoing programme to plant a lot more.
There are some reforestation efforts, but they’re expensive and the area that needs to be covered is huge.