Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Northern Florida a wildfire waiting to happen

I was driving through northern Florida, and I can understand why they have fire advisories in place. That part of the state is a tinder box. Dry weather plays a part, of course, but after today I don't think that is the main problem. The main problem is the underbrush in the forests is ungodly thick, and there is so much dead vegetation mixed in that it is surprising they don't have more wildfires. The forest management plans may have allowed the growth of this underbrush as a nod to a more "natural" environment, but the consequences of that is this state will continue to have to deal with significant forest fires. There is just to much fuel laying around the forest floors.

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