MT - Pine Beetle Damage Could Fuel Wildfires

State Forester Bob Harrington warned Monday that the pine trees damaged and killed by beetles could provide fuel for major fires here this year

Web Site: http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/06/23/news/local/news05.txt

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Pine Beetle Damage Could Fuel Wildfires

By CHARLES S. JOHNSON Missoulian State Bureau

Caption: Montana has lost a million acres of trees to mountain pine beetles that burrow into bark and block nutrients. Anne Sherwood

HELENA - State Forester Bob Harrington warned Monday that the pine trees damaged and killed by beetles could provide fuel for major fires here this year.

Briefing Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Harrington said Montana last fall was estimated to have 3 million acres of forests damaged by the pine beetles, which turn green pine trees into dying rust- brown trees.

That acreage of damaged pine trees could double this year, providing fuel for fires, depending on moisture conditions, Harrington said.

It might mean you get a barnburner of a fire, he said. That's a big concern of ours.

He called the areas from Helena to Butte to the Big Hole Valley the epicenter of the epidemic.

If we fire starts in those areas, it will require a more aggressive and safe response, Harrington said.

Last week, the Governor's Drought Advisory Committee heard reports that most of the state's water reservoirs are full and stream flows are up.

Fire officials are expecting a normal fire season. That all depends on what people's definition of normal - whether it's from the 1970s and 1980s or this decade, he said.

He called his presentation: Don't put your Pulaski away yet.

He said state fire officials are preparing for a normal firefighting year that costs from $5 million to $8 million, although the average state costs are $20 million.

National Guard officials said they stand ready to help again. They have put anywhere from 140 soldiers and 2006 to 1,769 soldiers in airmen in 2000 fighting fires. They have done everything from flying planes and helicopters, providing other transportation and security and working on hand crews.

Col. Don Emerson said the Guard will have fewer aircraft available this year because some helicopters are being used in Iraq.

The National Guard can count on only one BlackHawk helicopter and one Chinook helicopter module through the duration of the fire season because of scheduled or unscheduled maintenance.

It's kind of like having Dodge pickups on the ranch, Schweitzer said. If you've got three available, you can only count on one to fix fence.

Schweitzer said the premier of Alberta recently told him the Canadian province is experiencing its driest year in a century.

Montana fire officials should stand ready to help Alberta fight fires, if asked, just as Alberta has done for Montana.

They've helped us, Schweitzer said. It would be nice to return the favor.

Additional Information

Web Site: http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/06/23/news/local/news05.txt

Category: Forestry>Wildfire

Region: Montana

Ad Running: 6/23/2009-6/23/2011

Ad Posted: 6/23/2009 3:39:34 PM

Ad Viewed: 704 times

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