By John Driscoll
Eureka Times Standard (California)
Copyright 2006 Times - Standard
All Rights Reserved
As wildfire season winds down, a fire ecologist familiar with Northern California’s forest blazes will give a whirlwind tour of fires past and present on Wednesday.
James Agee from the University of Washington said in a telephone interview Thursday that Northwestern California has always had fire as a regular part of its ecological cycle. Even the worst fire years recently don’t compare, he said.
“There was a tremendous amount of fire here every year,” Agee said.
Lightning typically started fires on ridge tops, and American Indians often ignited fires in the valleys, he said.
But large wildfires may have been far less damaging to trees and vegetation historically, especially the farther east they started.
Agee’s lecture will take a look at the larger fires in recent years, including the 500,000-acre Biscuit Fire on the California-Oregon border, as well as the numerous fires in wilderness areas this year, like the Bar Complex. He’ll compare how the burns compare to historical blazes.
He’ll also talk about what measures could be taken to limit the severity of fires in California’s forests.
Agee’s talk is the L.W. Schatz Lecture at Humboldt State University. The talk will be held Oct. 18 in the Kate Buchanan Room. Refreshments will be served at 5 p.m. with the talk beginning at 5:15 p.m.