{"id":340993,"date":"2021-09-18T00:31:36","date_gmt":"2021-09-17T21:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/fighting-fire-with-fire-to-protect-california-sequoia-trees\/"},"modified":"2021-09-18T00:31:36","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T21:31:36","slug":"fighting-fire-with-fire-to-protect-california-sequoia-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/fighting-fire-with-fire-to-protect-california-sequoia-trees\/","title":{"rendered":"#Fighting fire with fire to protect California sequoia trees"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25e79102e83\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25e79102e83\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/fighting-fire-with-fire-to-protect-california-sequoia-trees\/#Its_all_about_the_fuel\" >It\u2019s all about the fuel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/fighting-fire-with-fire-to-protect-california-sequoia-trees\/#Slowing_fire_by_creating_fire\" >Slowing fire by creating fire<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/fighting-fire-with-fire-to-protect-california-sequoia-trees\/#Safely_settling_mild_fires\" >Safely settling mild fires<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/fighting-fire-with-fire-to-protect-california-sequoia-trees\/#Small_flames_to_protect_giant_Sequoias\" >Small flames to protect giant Sequoias<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Fighting fire with fire to protect California sequoia trees<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n        <\/aside>\n<p>LOS ANGELES \u2014 With flames advancing toward the signature grove of ancient massive trees in Sequoia National Park, firefighters on Thursday fought fire with fire.<\/p>\n<p>Using firing operations to burn out flammable vegetation and other matter before the wildfire arrives in the Giant Forest is one of several ways firefighters can use their nemesis as a tool to stop, slow or redirect fires.<\/p>\n<p>The tactic comes with considerable risks if conditions change. But it is routinely used to protect communities, homes or valuable resources now <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fires-environment-and-nature-forests-california-trees-b0c20ca90e064aa80150f5994f94fd02\">under threat from fires<\/a>, including the grove of about 2,000 massive sequoias, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a> Sherman Tree, the world\u2019s largest by volume.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Its_all_about_the_fuel\"><\/span>It\u2019s all about the fuel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Three things influence how hot and fast a fire burns: the landscape, with fire burning faster up steep slopes; weather, with winds and dry conditions fanning flames; and fuel, the amount of material that can burn.<\/p>\n<p>The first two can\u2019t be controlled, but there are ways to reduce fuels long before any fire breaks out \u2014 or even as one is <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roaching.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf all the things that affect fire behavior, the fuels is really where we can take action,\u201d said Maureen Kennedy, a professor of wildfire ecology at the University of Washington.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Sequoia-National-Park2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Firefighters cover a sign with fire resistant foil at Sequoia National Park, California.\" class=\"wp-image-19495736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Sequoia-National-Park2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Sequoia-National-Park2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/Sequoia-National-Park2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Firefighters cover a sign with fire resistant foil at Sequoia National Park, California.<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Service\/Handout via REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Historically, low- to moderate-severity fires every five to 30 years burned out excess brush and timber before deadly fires in the early 20th century led to aggressive firefighting and a U.S. Forest Service policy to suppress all fires by 10 a.m. the day after they were reported.<\/p>\n<p>That led to dense forests of dead trees, fallen logs and overgrown brush that accumulated over the past century, fueling more massive fires.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Slowing_fire_by_creating_fire\"><\/span>Slowing fire by creating fire<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For centuries, Native Americans have used fire to thin out forests.<\/p>\n<p>Prescribed burns set under favorable weather conditions can help mimic the lower-intensity fires of the past and burn off excess fuels when they are not at risk of getting out of control. If fire eventually burns the area, it will likely do so at lower intensity and with less damage.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682\" alt=\"Crews applied aluminum blankets onto the General Sherman Tree to prevent the historic sequoia from getting too hot.\" class=\"wp-image-19495742\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1023 1023w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682 682w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=341 341w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\"\/><figcaption>Crews applied aluminum blankets onto the General Sherman Tree to prevent the historic sequoia from getting too hot.<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The idea is the same during a wildfire. Fire chiefs try to take advantage of shifting winds or changing landscapes to burn out an area before the fire gets there, depriving it of the fuel it needs to keep going.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re trying to achieve the same effect,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to moderate the fire behavior. They\u2019re trying to remove the fuels that make the fire burn so intensely. Of course, their goal there is to better contain and control the fire and protect the more valuable resources.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Safely_settling_mild_fires\"><\/span>Safely settling mild fires<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>All wildland firefighters learn about burnout operations in basic training, but it takes a higher level of training to plan and carry out firing operations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou need to know how to fight fire before you light fire,\u201d said Paul Broyles, a former chief of fire operations for the National Park Service.<\/p>\n<p>Burning an area between the fire front and a projected point \u2014 such as a firebreak or the Giant Forest in Sequoia \u2014 requires the right conditions and enough time to complete the burnout before the fire can reach a fire line constructed by firefighters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-nypost-small-post\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"231\" height=\"347\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=231\" alt=\"The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park in California.\" class=\"wp-image-19495743\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=462 462w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=347 346w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=231 231w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=116 115w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px\"\/><figcaption>Fire chiefs would burn out smaller areas of the Sequoia Canyon National Park to stop larger fires from advancing.<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Facebook<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Often such operations are conducted at night when fires tend to die down or slow their advance as temperatures cool and humidity rises.<\/p>\n<p>The convection of a fire pulls in winds from all direction, which can help. As fires climb steep terrain, burnouts are sometimes set on the other side of a ridge so any embers will land in an area where dry grasses and brush have already burned.<\/p>\n<p>The firing operations require a crew making sure the fire does not spread in the wrong direction. It may also include bulldozers cutting fire lines or air tankers dropping retardant to further slow the flames.<\/p>\n<p>All of it has to work in sync, Broyles said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAir tankers by themselves do not put fires out unless you follow up with personnel,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s like the military. You don\u2019t just bomb the hell out of your enemy without ground troops.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While burnouts are commonly used, they can backfire if winds shift or they aren\u2019t lit early enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you put more fire on the ground, there is a risk,\u201d said Rebecca Paterson, a spokeswoman for Sequoia National Park. \u201cIt carries the potential to create more problems than it solves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Broyles said there were times he didn\u2019t get a burnout started in time and firefighters had to be evacuated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFortunately, in my case, we didn\u2019t have any losses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Small_flames_to_protect_giant_Sequoias\"><\/span>Small flames to protect giant Sequoias <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Firefighters on Thursday were conducting burnout operations in the Giant Forest at almost a micro level, moving from tree to tree, Paterson said. Ground cover and organic debris known as duff close to the trees was being set on fire, allowing the flames to creep away from the tree to create a buffer.<\/p>\n<p>The General Sherman and other massive conifers were wrapped in aluminum blankets to protect them from the extreme heat.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=683\" alt=\"A fire on the KNP Complex at Sequoia National Park, California rages on.\" class=\"wp-image-19495739\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=683 683w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=341 341w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\"\/><figcaption>Experts say wildfires spread faster on steeper flames and grow rapidly under dry weather.<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Facebook<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The park was the first in the West to use prescribed fire more than 50 years ago and regularly burns some of its groves to remove fuels. Paterson said that was a reason for optimism.\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/09\/17\/fighting-fire-with-fire-to-protect-california-sequoia-trees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Fighting fire with fire to protect California sequoia trees&#8221; LOS ANGELES \u2014 With flames advancing toward the signature grove of ancient massive trees in Sequoia National Park, firefighters on Thursday fought fire with fire. Using firing operations to burn out flammable vegetation and other matter before the wildfire arrives in the Giant Forest is one&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":340994,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/sequois-fire-protection-hp.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[116093,67822,3544,70234,71468,82145,70754],"class_list":["post-340993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-9-17-21","tag-california-wildfires","tag-firefighters","tag-fires","tag-national-parks","tag-trees","tag-wildfires"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=340993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340993\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/340994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=340993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=340993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=340993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}