Tahoe fire yields lessons
There's agreement on the need to thin forests in places like Tahoe. As of Wednesday 55 percent of the Angora fire has been contained and 229 homes, valued at $141 million, have been destroyed.
from the June 29, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
Meanwhile, he and many residents say confusing rules from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) have made it difficult for homeowners to cut down dangerous trees.
"A lot of people didn't seem to know that for a dead tree in your yard you can just remove that," says Julie Regan, TRPA's communications chief. "We have a lot of work to do to clarify our rules ... and we've been working on that." The agency encourages tree removal for fire safety, she says, noting a recent survey found that the majority of local homeowners had not set up state-mandated defensible perimeters.
As the community sorts through future forest cleanup, it's also coming to terms with suspicions that the Angora fire was human-caused. If so, that would make it like most US wildland fires. About five times as many fires are caused by human activity as are linked to lightning (80,220 versus 16,165 in 2006), according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
While the ratio has remained about the same in recent years, some experts say the incidence of human-caused fires – accidents and arson – has been increasing faster when viewed over longer periods. "There are just so many more people living and working and roaming in the woods, and every one of them is a potential ignition source," says Timothy Ingalsbee, who fought fires for the US Forest Service and National Park Service.
While the fire's exact cause remains unknown, its effects are obvious. "Thank you, firefighters" signs line the streets. Hotels have offered to shelter evacuees and fire personnel free of charge, refusing government- voucher compensation. Among those who can return to their homes, sympathy for those who cannot return mingles with guilt. "I feel that way already, just knowing that so many of my friends in the area have lost everything," says Lefner.
RSS feed
