Let me introduce myself. I have a BS in Forestry (1960) and a PhD in Forestry (1995), which included studies in wildland fire behavior. I first attended a U.S. Forest Service fire and lookout school at age 14 at my dad’s remote ranger station in the Idaho wilderness. That would not be possible today. I continued to attend through age 17 when I was hired as a wildland firefighter on two two-man fires and a 14-man fire. This was before my senior year of high school. I continued as a wildland fire fighter at a Forest Service ranger district in Montana while in college; this included very large fire in central Idaho and a one-man fire when the district ranger ran out of crew. While serving on a range survey crew for the BLM near Madeline, Calif., a fire started nearby on the base of McDonald Peak.
Since I was the only one with wildland fire experience, I became the leader of an ad hoc fire crew. We almost had the fire under control when the wind and sun came up resulting in a 50,000-acre fire. So, it can be said that I know a little about vegetation and wildland fire.
I live in North Woodmoor and it bothers me to see residents raking up pine needles and other debris, except to protect lawns, while continuing to let scrub oak grow. Scrub oak is highly flammable and a danger to our neighborhoods, while pine needles are not. Pine needles should be looked upon as mulch and long-term fertilizer.
John Schumaker PhD
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