Rush to Clear the Brush
Forest fires pollute our skies, burn up our trees and irritate our eyes. But how do these fires happen? And why?
Overview
When was the last time that you visited a forest or national park? Was it fun? Did you enjoy the sights?
Whether you enjoyed it or not (although I really hope you did), it is important that everyone recognizes the importance of forests to us as a collective human species. Eco-tourism, air purification, and biodiversity are just some of many benefits that these habitats grant us, and to know how to protect them should serve as vital information.
A picture of Deukmejian Wilderness Park taken during our hike
Trees are an ageless staple of nature. As a symbol, they represent the natural order of the world and the virtue of ecological independence. It is a universal sentiment that the presence of trees portray nature's tranquility, giving way to a sense of calm or serenity.
Forest fires in regulation are also important for a self-sustaining ecosystem. Forest fires clear the ground of forest litter and underbrush, opening up the soil for future growth and reducing competition for nutrients. But with an unsustainable amount of forest fires emerging from human carelessness, forest landscapes and habitats are purged from Earth's surfaces leading to detrimental and widespread consequences to our environment.
We hope to convince you that our environment is worth protecting by recounting our city's experiences with a nearby park, Deukmejian Wilderness Park, and addressing both small and large-scale problems that may apply to your surroundings in turn. Better yet, your contributions may even save your trees and lives!
Rush to Clear the Brush | National Geographic's Slingshot Challenge
Deukmejian Wilderness Park
Deukmejian Wilderness Park is a 710-acre park located in the San Gabriel Mountains in La Crescenta, California. The park's elevation ranges from about 2,159 feet (658 meters) to 4,775 feet (1,455 meters) above sea level. The terrain is rugged and hilly, with steep slopes covered in dense thickets and several creeks that flow through the park.
The park features several hiking trails, picnic areas, and scenic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. The hiking trails vary in difficulty and length, ranging from easy walks to more strenuous hikes. One of the most popular trails is the Dunsmore Canyon Trail, which leads hikers through a shaded canyon and up to a scenic overlook.
The area now known as Deukmejian Park had been inhabited by the Tongva tribe for thousands of years. They relied on the park's natural resources for food, shelter, and medicine. The city purchased the land in 1988, and opened in May 2004 after extensive infrastructure improvements. The park was named after George Deukmejian, who served as the governor of California from 1983 to 1991 and was a long-time resident of Glendale.
On the afternoon of August 26, 2009, a wildfire broke out in San Gabriel Mountains. This blaze, known as the Station Fire, devastated over 250 square miles of the Angeles National Forest and was the largest in Los Angeles County recorded history. To protect surrounding communities from the fire, nearly all 709 acres of the bordering Deukmejian Wilderness Park in the City of Glendale were strategically burned.
Forest Fires and Our World
Californians are all too familiar with forest fires ravaging their lands. Thanks to droughts drying up plants and making ecosystems more flammable, the state almost seems like one large tinder box that is constantly on fire. But how are we all affected by forest fires? After all, we all share the same atmosphere and breathe the same air.
Before and after photos of Station Fire at Deukmejian Wilderness Park in 2009
Air Quality
Wildfires release many particulates into the atmosphere; articulate matter, carbon dioxide, water vapor, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides, and trace minerals. Carbon dioxide is a key contributor to global warming, and carbon monoxide is toxic to humans. Hydrocarbons and VOCs can combine with other elements in the atmosphere to produce harmful effects such as photochemical smog and surface level ozone. Overall, woodsmoke from wildfires is not ideal to have percolating through the atmosphere.
Increasing Temperatures
Wildfires release a large amount of carbon dioxide when burning, but they also remove mature tree groves when they burn big enough. Trees take in carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen. Without as many mature trees in an area, carbon dioxide linger away from carbon sinks such as the oceans and soil with no place to be stored.
Human Health
Volatile Organic Compounds have been known to cause cancer. Various particulates released by woodsmoke can cause serious damage to the respiratory system if inhaled enough. Wildfires themselves can also destroy nearby homes with fire damage, and even more so without proper fire insurance.
Here is a swipe map of the forest fires happening in the United States as of February 2023, next to a map of fire regimes that split up the regions. Drag the arrow in the middle of the two maps to switch between them. Use the legend at the bottom left to figure out what fire regime that your region falls under, or if there are any ongoing forest fires near you.
A fire regime represents the pattern and frequency of wildfires over time within that specific area. Each regime is classified as such:
Group I - frequent (0-35 years), low severity;
Group II - frequent (0-35 years), stand replacement severity;
Group III - 35-100+ years, mixed severity;
Group IV - 35-100+ years, stand replacement severity;
Group V - 200+ years, stand replacement severity;
*Stand replacement severity involves the burning of all living overstory growth and initiates the process of forest regrowth.
What Can We Do?
The benefits and underlying causes of forest fires come down to one thing: underbrush. Clearing forest debris, either through forest fires or manual labor, allows plants and insects to sprout back up onto the surface and provide adequate food for the species that live there.
Feel free to start small. Mow your lawns and keep them tidy of shrubs or debris, which will soon promote lavish growth of your plants and safeguard fires from spreading onto your lawn.
Make sure to do research on what types of plants you should be uprooting, and how many. Pull up too much, and you might put your lawn at risk of soil erosion. In our case, foxtail plants are seasonal in our area, and may dry up in the hot months. Along with their prevalence in a spot where indifferent teenagers love to dump their cigarettes, these plants must be methodically removed to reduce the risk of a fire setting ablaze.
A group member cleaning up foxtail at Clark Magnet High School
Once you are ready to move up in scale, join your local highway patrol on roadside cleanups. For example, the California Department of Transportation takes care of roadside patrol here in California, and their duties include clearing brush and litter to prevent forest fires from becoming unnecessarily severe.
The environment does not need more forest fires. We don't need them either. Give brush cleaning a try, and the trees just might thank you.
