The big question: why are wildfires getting so much worse?

 

I've addressed this question in other posts, but I came across this article, and thought to share. Yes, it's a bit long, but it's well-written, and spot on, in my opinion. 

Welcome to the Mega-Fire Generation. 

 

Fire shelters again under scrutiny after 3 deaths

 

 

It's no surprise that the summer of 2026 has presented us with huge conflagrations, destroying precious forests, homes, and more. Long-term drought, high winds, forest management (which I'll discuss in my next post), all contribute to the catastrophic events we are witnessing now. 

Sadly, there is no specific "fire season" anymore.  

But the hardest part about these devastating fires is loss of life. This week, 3 wildland firefighters lost their lives battling the blazes consuming parts of Colorado and Utah. 

What really hit me hard is that the 3 firefighters (2 of which were women) died in their fire shelters. Am I surprised? Shocked? No. Not at all. Fire shelters don't work...or shall I say, they only work in very specific conditions, and those conditions are not common on the fireline. 

 Fire shelters came out the summer of 1977, my second summer on a 10-person suppression crew at Florida (Flor-ee-da) Ranger Station in the Santa Rita Mountains of Southern Arizona. We balked at this new-fangled addition to our gear. More weight, which we did not need or want, but aside from that, none of us believed for a minute they were the life-savers they were designed to be. And they were not. And they still aren't.

It's not that no one has not tried to make a better one. It's the fact that a better one hasn't been figured out yet. When 19 of the 20 Granite Mtn. Hotshots died in 2013 in their fire shelters, cries went out loud and clear: Make better fire shelters! But the reality is, a fire shelter that would protect a human being from over 800 degrees is not something anyone could carry with them in the terrain and conditions that wildland firefighters face on each call.

The solution? I'm no expert, but I've never forgotten what my supervisor told us during training: No tree is worth a life. In other words, putting people into situations where life can be lost just to save the trees should not happen. 

 

 

 

The Swanson River Fire (1969)

 

For those who have read my book, you may remember my summer in Kenai, Alaska. Maybe you recall our loony supervisor, who often felt the need to remind us on a rainy, cold day, "Just remember: The Swanson River Fire started on a day like today!"

We were skeptical. One crewmate did look into it, and said it was supposedly a big deal. We were still skeptical. 

 Today another former crewmate shared this article with me. Looks like the story is true. And that Air Force Base the fire nearly destroyed was where we lived and worked!

The destructive Swanson River Fire of 1969 burned about 83,000 acres on the Kenai Peninsula. 

 This fire eventually burned dangerously close to Wildwood Air Force Station, and became one of the most significant fires in Kenai Peninsula history. 

 

If you've not read my book yet, and would like to, it's currently (June 2026) on Amazon at 37% off! (Only $9.44!) A very good deal.