Fires!?!?

I was a natural resources mgt major in college. We studied many things that you enjoy while riding today. One of my sets of classes was in Wildland Fire Mgt which is an oxymoron. But we learned many things so I will post some perspectives
*) in 1911 LA county dept of forest was created, they planted trees like @ "Henniger Flats", and fought fires
1) LA County fire was the first paid fire department in the US, but probably the world. It grew as a line item in the LA County dept of Forestry. This happened because of "The Griffith Park Fire October 3, 1933 A small fire had started at the bottom of a slope and a number of men were ordered or volunteered to fight the fire. A sudden wind change sent a shaft of flame up the slopes of Dam Canyon killing 29 workers of thermal burns and injuring more than 150 others. The need for a professional fire department was identified
2) In 1966 an LA County hot shot crew lost all 12 members in Big Tujunga Cyn when a chimney lit and killed them as they descended the canyon. It was determined that we needed a better plan to attack wild land fires. Today we never attack without an anchor so no more lost firefighters in LA County. 1966 is also the first use of water dropping heli's, used on Mt Waterman @ Cloudburst Summit
3) We have never put out a wildland fire, weather change, or as this week they run out of fuel.
4) Historically we did not suffer that badly. In 1871 in Wisconsin the state lost 1500 people in one fire, it was very big.

 

Interesting, thanks!

 

Wow, really cool info! So grateful for our firefighters

 

This is the reason why fires seem bigger than in the past. They are really careful as to where they place the firefighters. Death is not an option. My Uncle ran command centers for years. Sent many strike teams out. Nearing the end of his career he lost a member of his crew. He took months off of work. Took him along time to accept it was just part of his job, but am sure it still haunts him.

 

Fire is a natural part of forest management in California, but we suppressed all fire for 100 years, thanks to clueless . . . people with influence. Now we can't keep up with fuel removal to bring it back to some semblance of the natural order of things, so fires are much more intense. Plus, we've built into the wood- and scrub-lands, so they're much more destructive.

There is nothing at all unusual about this fire season. November is historically a high fire danger month. Plus we had a wet winter 2016-2017, so fuel is now abundant. And dry. As is the norm.

 

For those who have had favorite trails affected by fires, generally what's the prognosis for when they're rideable again. I cruised by the trailhead I'd been frequenting, and since the trails themselves obviously didn't have fuel to burn on them they look completely fine, just surrounded by charred earth. Obviously after some rains they'll get runoff of ash, Phos-chek, or maybe even covered over with mudslides. Lots of variables of course, but curious when folks have started riding trails after a fire.

 

Some trails in the Angeles National Forest didn't reopen for over 8 years... Officially

After the Station fire...

 

Yeesh, hard closures didn't even occur to me, though I suppose it makes total sense. Fack.

 

Most of the burn area in the Santa Monicas is technically closed but I am seeing people on Strava riding several "closed" areas. Locally it just says the trails are closed due to the fire damage but it seems more of a enter at your own risk situation. Most of the pictures I see show that the fire roads and trails remain unharmed. I myself am debating when to go explore.

 

Why would you open yourself up to ridicule from the Goody Goodies? Shhh do it on the downlow

 

Yeah it's a trip to hit the trails after a burn. Tan ribbon running through the dark grey ash...
The real fun starts when it starts raining.

 

According to some comments on trail forks it seems like they generally held up well. Was thinking about a quick run down Colossus cause it seems like the least likely place to run into any trouble for being out on trails.

 

8 years for some, 8 weeks for others?

 

That 8 year thing was so humorous. Wait until the stink clears then go out, explore, and see the old forgotton road beds and those trails that just petered out and disappeared. There are a few in Cheeseboro of which I saw one in UPSed photos. It is actually fun seeing the old ranch California scars re-appear for a little while.

 

Please post a report if you do. I was hoping it didn't get hit since it's east of LV, but I drove by a couple days ago and from the bottom at Mulholland it looks like most, if not all of it was in the burn area.

 

I'm guessing it's toast. I did a road ride down LV and that whole side was burned.