Dixie Fire Aftermath

[WoodWorks]

ILCE-7RM4    FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS    105mm    f/4.0    1/800s    ISO 100

The Dixie Fire in northern California is the largest fire in U.S. history, having consumed almost a million acres of forest land (roughly 3900 sq. km), and after our recent rains, it seemed a good time to ride down there and see what was left.

ILCE-7RM4    FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS    76mm    f/8.0    1/125s    ISO 100

ILCE-7RM4    FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS    24mm    f/11.0    1/30s    ISO 100

ILCE-7RM4    FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS    105mm    f/4.0    1/320s    ISO 100

The town of Greenville was particularly hard hit, wiped off the map, really.

ILCE-7RM4    FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS    24mm    f/8.0    1/60s    ISO 100

ILCE-7RM4    FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS    24mm    f/8.0    1/500s    ISO 100

ILCE-7RM4    FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS    24mm    f/8.0    1/320s    ISO 100

ILCE-7RM4    FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS    26mm    f/8.0    1/250s    ISO 100

ILCE-7RM4    FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS    24mm    f/8.0    1/30s    ISO 125

ILCE-7RM4    FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS    39mm    f/4.0    1/500s    ISO 100

ILCE-7RM4    FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS    57mm    f/8.0    1/60s    ISO 200

But all of the forest land as far as I could see had been consumed by fire. I think the word "catastrophe" was coined for this.

These forests are not going to recover in our lifetimes, if at all.

ILCE-7RM4    FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS    82mm    f/11.0    1/100s    ISO 125

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

The forest will recover. Might take 100 yrs, but it'll come back.

 

[DaveC]

Always makes me a little sad to see such destruction. Good set of photo's, and I think the black and white is just right for the subject matter. I don't have any experience with the after effects of fire in North America, but I have always been amazed at how rapidly the recovery takes place after our bushfires. Sadly, when the fires are really massive, and intense the recovery is much slower with some species of plants and animals not ever recovering

 

[Brownie]

This is a prime example of a single-poster thread that should have a front page feature. Though terrible in context, the collection of images is superb.

Well done David!

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Superb photographs... but what a tragedy. Like a war zone, but worse.

 

[WoodWorks]

The forest will recover. Might take 100 yrs, but it'll come back.

I’ve been here almost 30 years now, and I’ve seen the recovery of places that burned back when I first moved here. No, they’re not the moonscapes that the fires left behind. But they’re not anything remotely like what was there before the fires. We have a lot of volcanos around here, which makes it easier to think in geologic time. So 100 years is an eye blink. But I’m not sure, what with the climate changing so dramatically within my adult lifetime, that I’m so sanguine. Seems like we may be in for some epochal change here.

Always makes me a little sad to see such destruction. Good set of photo's, and I think the black and white is just right for the subject matter. I don't have any experience with the after effects of fire in North America, but I have always been amazed at how rapidly the recovery takes place after our bushfires. Sadly, when the fires are really massive, and intense the recovery is much slower with some species of plants and animals not ever recovering

Thanks, Dave. Some of the burnt sections of forest were already sprouting ferns and other greenery. That rain we got was a relief in so many ways. But “recovery” is a long way off. And parts of the Dixie Fire only fizzled when they ran into the lands burned by the massive Camp Fire of 2018, and ran out of fuel.

But hey, there are some trees around here that can only self-replicate if their cones get opened by fire, which releases the seeds. So what do I know? But my guess is that those fires were supposed to be considerably less catastrophic.

 

[bdbits]

There were some pretty bad fires in Yellowstone in the 1980s, yet there are places where trees are growing back now. It will recover, but likely after I am gone.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I am a lineman for the county

Ouch! Earworm caught.

I don't mind, though: one of my old-favourite songs

 

[bdbits]

I like the picture (and song) but not sure why it is posted here?

 

[bdbits]

David, that last picture is not Mount Shasta is it? I think maybe it looks too small but now that I had this idea in my head I had to ask.

 

[WoodWorks]

David, that last picture is not Mount Shasta is it? I think maybe it looks too small but now that I had this idea in my head I had to ask.

No, that's Mt. Lassen, about 75 miles southeast of Mt. Shasta. There's a great road that passes right up near the summit, which I was hoping to ride. But they closed it when the fire swept through, and since they shut it down annually in the winter when the first snows come, it will likely remain closed until late spring.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

not sure why it is posted here

I had assumed it was a visual/musical reference to some fires being caused by poor maintenance of power lines.

 

[Brownie]

I had assumed it was a visual/musical reference to some fires being caused by poor maintenance of power lines.

I think he's more referring to the concept of this kind of thread. The idea is that someone posts a series of topic-specific images from a trip, event, etc. that gets accolades and perhaps a nomination for a front page feature. The thread stays exclusive to that poster, others don't post in it. It's not like a 'show us your B&W images' thread, or 'show cars' thread.

I think this is the first time a thread like this has been posted and moved to the feature page in TalkEMount, so it isn't surprising a little explanation is in order.

 

[WoodWorks]

I think this is the first time a thread like this has been posted and moved to the feature page in TalkEMount, so it isn't surprising a little explanation is in order.

Nah, lots of these kinds of threads have made the front page, Brownie. My guess is Ted wandered in here and thought he was on the "Share your B&W photos" thread. Go ahead, Ted. Tell me I'm wrong.