Great Fire of 1910: Historical Context for Wildfires

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Image result for forest fire

In 1910, one of the driest years to date, a fire raged across Idaho, Montana, Washington and parts of British Columbia, burning over 3,000,000 acres of timber, and killing 86 souls. The fire was ignited by an electric storm and moved swiftly, within 6 hours most of the damage had already been done.

This fire had wide reaching impacts, some of which we still feel today. 

In 1910, the US Forest Service was still in its infancy, and some people thought it was a waste of government spending. The fire ignited support for the young agency, and ushered in a new era of fire prevention and fighting. Whereas before this fire, many thought that forests should be left to burn as nature saw fit, now the US Forest service sought to bring all fires to an end as soon as possible.

 Many wonder if this policy was create some of the conditions we now see today. Fighting fires requires an immense amount of water and resources, perhaps we should forgo building in areas prone to forest fire, and allow nature to do as it sees fit?

 To learn more about the Great Fire of 1910 and how it impact firefighting today visit: https://foresthistory.org/research-explore/us-forest-service-history/policy-and-law/fire-u-s-forest-service/famous-fires/the-1910-fires/
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5444731.pdf


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