FIRE, WATER & BRIMSTONE
The fire season has been intense around much of the country this summer, climaxing with the dramatic Rim Fire in Yosemite National Park. The third largest wildfire in California history, the fire threatened San Francisco's power grid and drinking water supply, which comes from Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite Park. Coming even closer to home for the Bay Area was the Mt. Diablo fire in Mt. Diablo State Park just west of Oakland which scorched a popular hiking spot for Bay Area residents. On this episode of Locus Focus we talk Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist at the Geos Institute in Ashland, Oregon, about why these fires are not catastrophic forest destroyers, as they are often portrayed in the media. Rather they play a vital role in forest restoration. To add a little water into the mix we'll also talk about this week's massive flooding around Boulder, Colorado and what climate change might have to do with it.
Dominick DellaSala is an award winning science author and Chief Scientist at the Geos Institute in Ashland, Oregon.
Read Dominick's recent article on the Rim Fire: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/15/5731664/viewpoints-fires-can-be-restorative.html
- KBOO