# My park is burning! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 25, 2003, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-park-is-burning/190825 "2003-07-25T07:24:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-park-is-burning/190825/1 "2003-07-25T07:24:48Z")
:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(☹ Glacier National Park is burning. The fire was started by lightning in the wee hours of July 16th and has spread over some famous places in the park and has caused a good portion to be closed off. [http://www.nps.gov/glac/resources/fires.htm](http://www.nps.gov/glac/resources/fires.htm) [http://www.nps.gov/glac/whatsnew/press03.htm](http://www.nps.gov/glac/whatsnew/press03.htm) The fire even crossed the going to the sun road today. I wonder how bad it will be once the fire is out? My family has been going there to hike every summer since 1995 with the exception of 2001. I was hoping we could go again after my class is over this summer, but I don’t think that would be a good idea now, since a lot of the places we like to go are closed off and the smoke is blotting out the view: [http://www.nps.gov/glac/whatsnew.htm](http://www.nps.gov/glac/whatsnew.htm) Look at how the smoke is blotting everything out in all the webcams during the day. They have peak identification pictures showing how it’s supposed to look. I don’t relish the thought of going back next year to see formerly stunning green vistas in the valleys replaced by a brown-gray tree boneyard. You could say that one could take solace in the fact that this is all part of the cycle of the park’s ecosystem which is part of what makes it so special, but that’s not helping much. Is anyone else a particular fan of Glacier? ☹ ☹ ☹ ☹ ☹ ☹ ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-park-is-burning/190825/2 "2003-07-25T07:49:29Z")
Please, please, please tell me that no one is even whispering, “let it burn” like those morons in Yellowstone. ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-park-is-burning/190825/3 "2003-07-25T13:19:08Z")
Hey **Zenster** , I suggest you educate yourself about fire and it’s effects on the forest environment before you spread more ignorance. See this quote from **CechMaster401k** ’s first link: > [@](#): > > Fire is a natural part of the environment, as natural as a rain storm or a strong wind. Fire is essential for the health of Glacier’s ecosystem, as it maintains a natural balance and mix of plants and trees, and reduces build-up of deadfall and organic material. In addition, fire reduces woody material to ash, and releases nutrients. There is a natural succession of plant growth, death and restoration that depends on fire. Fire creates forests that are more resistant to drought, insects and invasion by non-native plants, and may reduce the intensity of future fires. Periodic lightning-caused fires have shaped the landscape of Glacier National Park. These fires historically occurred on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-park-is-burning/190825/4 "2003-07-25T19:19:00Z")
[Holy Jesus](http://www.nps.gov/glac/video/fire_1.mov). ☹ The problem with Yellowstone, as I understand it, was that they had decades of kindling built up from preventing fires in the past. When the realized forest fires were “healthy,” they let the thing burn and reduce the park to ashes. A “healthy” burn turned into an inferno. It was a matter of excess, **Alereon**. But yeah, **Zenster**. They’re not saying “let it burn” to the point where they’re letting an inferno rage. Wind and dryness are just making things beyond their control. They let little ones burn or have managed burns, but nothing this big. Christ, you can see the fire in that video. It IS going to be a boneyard. God. It’s never gonna be the same in my lifetime. I won’t get to show it to my girlfriend as I remember it either. ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-park-is-burning/190825/5 "2003-07-25T19:35:40Z")
News sources are the Billings Gazette, Missoulian, and Daily Inter Lake. You can also check the National Interagency Fire Coordination page for info and maps. No let it burn policy, but Montana is very, very dry right now. Much of the forest wood is drier than what you buy at the lumber yard. We’ve also had record breaking temps in the last 10 days. AND there are currently 8 major fires in Montana with crews on them. Our total acerage burned is approaching 200,000 acres statewide. So they are being very cautious about dropping fire crews into situations in which a “blow-up” could occur. We’re supposed to have cooler temps over the weekend, but back into the 90’s by Monday. This is just a beginning to a bad fire season. Whistlepig ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-park-is-burning/190825/6 "2003-07-25T19:38:47Z")
Some folks this morning were saying how they could smell the faint odor of smoke last night. I myself didn’t notice anything, but more than a handful have said it. Tripler Aren’t there a couple of thundershowers in the forecast? ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-park-is-burning/190825/7 "2003-07-26T03:16:53Z")
[It’s on CNN now](http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Central/07/25/wildfires.ap/index.html).