The Pullen Creek forest fire near Eco Park, Kid Valley, and Mt. St. Helens was one of dozens started by irresponsible slash burning in the Pacific Northwest this month. Such explosive fire danger is a direct consequence of the climate crisis and poor forestry practices. 2022 has been dangerously and unusually dry, and despite recent rain this normally soggy region remains a tinderbox waiting to explode.
The dry, windy conditions this month were further exacerbated by clearcut logging and young, monocultural, even aged tree plantations. Clearcut areas and young forests do not impede the wind, increasing its velocity and exposing ground level flames to its full force. Clearcuts and young forests also do not retain moisture well, so they dry out fast. Young trees and forests lacking in diversity are also less resilient to fire.
The Washington Department of Natural Resources should never have granted logging corporations permits to burn given the predicted weather conditions, nor should they have lifted the statewide burn ban. We should in fact ban slash and other outdoor burning year round. Such materials should be composted instead. Furthermore, forestry reforms are badly needed. Clearcutting should be banned, and we should mandate harvest cycles exceeding a century, as well as tree species and age diversity. Also, our last remaining old growth and legacy forests should be preserved.
Forest fires in Washington in November are not normal, and they are very easily preventable if only we reform outdated and harmful forest management.
