Fire in the 1900’s was viewed as a threat to working men and businessmen. Fire destroyed valuable timber that was seen as only a profit, fire had to be controlled and put out right away. Wildfire was thought of as something that man could always control. However, the way we think about wildland fire has vastly changed in a century. Today we understand the essential role of wildland fire in your forested ecosystems and value forested areas for more than just timber.
In the 1900’s people were focused on timber, mining, and railroad construction throughout forested areas. Government authorities viewed forests as money, the faster you could remove trees for lumber or railways the better. Towns were being developed along railroads and because of the need for more men to work in the timber and mining industry. Fire was a threat to the timber industry and had to be put out right away. There was a rush to destroy fire because it endangered valuable timber and towns. The 1910 burn that spread over 3 million acres of forested land left little behind and wreaked havoc on the timber industry. This fire scared governments and stricter polices were created. A 10 AM policy was put into action in 1935, that instructed firefighters to put fires out by 10 AM the next day, if that couldn’t be accomplished than it should be out by 10 AM the following day.
A photo taken in 1910 after the Big Burn went through Wallace, Idaho.
PG 8, Barnard-Stockbridge Collection, University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives, http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/special-collections/
Not only has fire polices changed since the 1900’s but the way we view wildland fire has also changed. We now understand the importance of fire to forested ecosystems and even introduce it to areas. Government agencies see more to forests than just valuable timber. Government policies work to preserve forests and create working forests. Working forests are those that can create profit and protect important ecosystems together. Wildfire management is still changing today, agencies are working closer with state and private land owners to introduce prescribed fire to more areas to help create healthier forests.
4 replies on “Change in Fire Policy”
You really started this post with a strong statement! I like it. I didn’t focus on the timber harvesting component and what that meant for wildfire policy, and that is a HUGE part of the story. Your last paragraph resonated with me because although we are seeing declines in timber harvesting as compared to the 20th century, another contributing factor is the value placed on forests for aesthetic and recreation. I still think the public perspective is extremely anti-fire, including prescribed burning, but maybe if people are educated on the benefits for the forests they explore and enjoy, prescribed fire will have a more positive reputation.
While our views of wildfire have changed, it seems like the policy of the Federal government forcing all other landowners to follow their lead hasn’t. A big part of why the entire country adopted the total suppression policy was the urging by the Federal government. Reading this paper, I couldn’t help but top think that we might be going down the same road our fellow foresters did in the beginning of the 20th century. What if what we think today looks as bad as what Chief Greeley though in 1920? I’m not saying I disagree with anything you said, I just wonder if we are setting ourselves up for another problem in the future.
Our understanding is always changing, and people are definitely complicated!
I think that although Greeley was wrong about fire suppression, he really did care about the well-being of American forests. To me, his article shows the importance of thorough research in making management decisions, and careful monitoring of the results of those decisions.
Why do you think that fire is viewed of less of a threat to the logging industry today than it was in years past? Even though we have advanced technology and education about wild land fires, the forestry industry has to want to keep the logging lands as dense as possible to increase profits. All in all great work on your first blog post. The way you explained what your topic was about it was very clear and concise making it easy on the reader. Keep it up!