Spokane

Forest Service doing good job against fires
Our View: Taxpayer group's complaint fails test of common sense.
Related stories

John Kafentzis
For the editorial board

.8Forest fires are unpredictable but not nearly as unpredictable as some people.

After last year's devastating blazes charred 7 million acres across the West, people and officials demanded that something be done.

The U.S. Forest Service, which lost more than 2 million acres to fires last year, took this to heart. It added more crews and equipment. It hit fires with more of both, probably preventing some massive blazes. So far, fires have claimed just a a quarter of the acreage that burned last year.

Good job, right?

Not according to Taxpayers for Common Sense.

The group is incensed that the cost per acre for fighting fires has risen.

More of these fires should have been allowed to burn out on their own, they say. The result would be improved forest health, they contend. Besides, they add, there have been fewer fires than last year.

There is some merit to their arguments but the situation is much more complex than they make it sound.

We're a year deeper into a regional drought, so we've been just plain lucky to have fewer fires this year.

Fire has a role in keeping the forest healthy. But other factors often preclude letting nature take its course.

For decades we dealt with all wildfires by suppressing them whenever we could. The result is a tinderbox buildup of undergrowth and forest waste. When these areas catch fire they burn hot, fast and far. Given the potential ferocity of blazes under these conditions, letting fires burn out is often not the responsible option.

Humans figure into the equation too. As more people move into the woods, the chance for loss of life and property increases and fire management becomes more difficult and expensive.

Even planned fires can go awry. In May 2000, a controlled burn near Los Alamos, N.M., spread into the city, destroying more than 200 homes and forcing evacuation of more than 20,000 people.

The federal government compensated governments, businesses and individuals $661 million for losses in those fires. Compare that to the $699 million the Forest Service has spent so far this year to fight fires. It doesn't take a fiscal analyst to figure out which is the better deal.

It appears that Taxpayers for Common Sense is preoccupied with cents at the expense of good sense.

The Forest Service response to fires this summer is warranted and effective. It's a classic case of Taxpayers for Common Sense missing the forest for the trees.

John Kafentzis/For the editorial board

Back to Top