In 1935, the U.S. Forest Service implemented a strict 10 a.m. policy. It stated that whenever a fire was reported, it was to be put out by 10 a.m. the following morning. In part due to this policy and in part due to a lack of firefighters, the iconic Smokey Bear campaign was launched in 1944, stating, “Only YOU can prevent wildfires.”
The idea that wildfires were purely destructive became ingrained in both American culture and policy. Although meant to mitigate and eliminate fires and their possibility of destruction, in the long term this mindset resulted in the destructive fires now seen almost yearly across the country. By eliminating fires quickly, the USFS was stopping the ecological benefits of burning.
First, a distinction needs to be made. Although the terms wildfire and forest fire are often used interchangeably, wildfire refers to all natural fires, including forests, brush and grasses, while forest fire refers to only the burning of trees, as the name suggests. For simplicity and consistency, wildfire will be used to talk about all natural fires. However, forests will be the main focus of this issue as those garner the most public interest and are often the most destructive.
The key issue created by the suppression mindset is underbrush in forests begins to build up. Small fires naturally occur in environments from lightning strikes or dry conditions. These burns help to clear away brush and debris that has built up on the ground. This could include bushes, leaves, sticks or fallen trees.
When these materials get cleared away, it allows for plants and other organisms close to the forest floor to receive sunlight, water and other nutrients they otherwise would not get. Also, the dead matter burning releases nutrients that help the underbrush to grow and thrive, as well as providing nourishment for the soil. In spaces where fire is more common, light burning can also help weed out invasive and non-native species.
Some plants also rely on fire to be able to spread and germinate their seeds. Although not as common in the eastern U.S., certain trees have seeds only released under heat only fire can produce. Take the lodgepole pine, found throughout the west, which has its seeds enclosed in cones that have to be melted for them to be released.
Wildfires both large and small do not only occur in the west. Even in typically wet areas such as Appalachia and the Northeast, natural fires occur to accomplish the same goal of clearing underbrush. During the Canadian wildfires of 2023, a large fire south of the Hudson Bay caused smoke to loom over much of the East Coast and Midwest.
Without the burning of dead matter on the forest floor, the buildup creates fuel for larger fires. Combine that with a changing climate bringing higher temperatures and less rainfall, massive fires that turn out of control become increasingly common.
Centuries before Europeans arrived on this continent, Indigenous people were performing controlled burns to manage the natural fires. This entailed getting a designated area to burn away at the underbrush, all while controlling it to make sure it does not spread beyond the area.
In the 1970s, the USFS began doing its own prescribed burns. Although it has been practicing these since then, the public idea of fire as bad still largely looms, and many areas still have a buildup of organic fuel from decades of fire suppression.
Take Paradise, California for example. In the 2018 Camp Fire, the town was effectively burned to the ground. In 2010, the town had a population of over 26,000. As of the 2020 census, it had just over 4,700.
In nearby Wayne National Forest, the USFS conducted prescribed burns as recently as late last year. This was an effort to prevent larger fires due to things such as drought, which Athens County has recently experienced.
Just past Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday, remember that although fire can ravage an ecosystem if left unchecked, it can also be a force for good to make that environment thrive.
Ethan Herx is a sophomore studying photojournalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to share your thoughts? Let Ethan know by emailing or tweeting them at eh481422@ohio.edu or @ethanherx.
