Contrary to conventional wisdom, sequoias need intense fires to sprout seedlings | Opinion
Contrary to much of the rhetoric we hear today, intense wildfires in our local mountains are not necessarily bad, at least not for the forest.
The destructiveness of wildfires is the theme of an opinion piece in The Bee by former congresswoman Connie Conway. She uses the example of the tree damage caused by the Castle and Windy Fires as justification for expanded forest management. She says these two intense fires “devastated our beloved giant sequoias.”
The fires killed some trees, but if one were looking for a tree species to justify more active human intervention in response to wildfires, I think using giant sequoias might be the worst possible choice. Although seeds from these trees sometimes germinate under normal conditions, the species largely depends on intense wildfires for reproduction to really take hold.
When this happens, the sprouting of seedlings can be prolific, and some of the ground in the groves can be carpeted with thriving seedlings. It does not necessarily occur everywhere, and sometimes it takes a few years, but it is common to see this occurring in many of the groves affected by intense fires.
Opinion
Field researchers who have studied nearby giant sequoia groves have observed and documented this encouraging phenomenon. I had the opportunity to visit one of the fire-damaged groves in Kings Canyon Sequoia National Park last fall, and I saw it firsthand as did field researchers.
Forests overall have adapted to wildfires of various intensities and will usually reconstitute on their own after a fire. It is now common knowledge that wildfires are necessary for forests to remain healthy, but suppression of wildfires can rather lead to future higher intensity fires.
It is also now commonly understood that forests have become subject to unusually frequent intense wildfires because of climate change. Persistent heat and drought create conditions that can result in naturally occurring fires burning with greater intensity. High winds are also typically a factor in the formation of intense forest fires.
When these conditions are present, intense fires are nearly impossible to extinguish. In fact, firefighters typically do not extinguish the most intense fires without the assistance of winter rains (as in the case of the Castle Fire).
Conway suggests that reducing fuel loads and building more “fire breaks,” will slow intense wildfires. Logging and “thinning” trees or building breaks have been shown to be inconsistent at slowing intense wildfires, and logged areas can actually make fires burn hotter.
We know that intact and healthy forests absorb and store a great deal of carbon, so cutting trees contributes to climate change. Older, bigger trees absorb the most carbon.
Of course, forest wildfires can be a problem for humans. Mountain communities and residents are at risk from fires, and firefighters should focus their attention on protecting communities rather than trying to “battle” a blaze that is uncontrollable. Communities and residences can and should be “hardened” to reduce the risk of wildfire damage to structures and loss of life.
Conway is right to point out the potentially negative health risks to humans that are associated with exposure to wildfire smoke. Since wildfires are here to stay, and since, due to climate change, there will likely be more frequent intense wildfires generating lots of smoke, people at risk of exposure need to be prepared to protect themselves.
Any discussion about the need to address the health impacts of wildfire smoke should necessarily include a discussion of the terrible health outcomes associated with exposure to toxic emissions from fossil fuels. This is something we can do something about, and we need to accelerate efforts to transition to clean energy as quickly as possible.
Fossil fuel emissions are primarily responsible for climate change, which has resulted in hotter and drier conditions that lead to more frequent intense wildfires. To prevent even more unnatural intense wildfires, we need to stop cutting down trees in the forest and burning fossil fuels.
Ken Wall of Fresno is a retired banker and bank regulator now active as an environmental advocate.
