Laboratory
of
Tree-Ring Research

Southwest Fire:

General Overview

Fires of the past were different from those of today.

• Read on for scientific and media overviews of the forest fire dilemma of the Southwest:
   
  1. Barrett, S.W. 1999. Why burn wilderness? Fire Management Notes 59(4):18-21. This article discusses why fire should be returned to forest ecosystems, at least in wilderness areas. (4-page, 182-Kb pdf file, with color photos, password protected)
      
  2. Weise et al. 1996. Rx fire research for Southwestern forests. Fire Management Notes 56(2):23-25. This article discusses returning fire specifically to Southwest forest ecosystems. (3-page, 614-Kb pdf file, password protected)
      
  3. Talking fire: This 1996 Arizona Daily Star editorial opinion summarizes the forest fire management issue, with a historical note on how and why Southwest forests are unhealthy ecologically, a listing of various current management alternatives, and a call for policy decision making.
      
  4. Rash of 1994 forest fires blamed, in part, on blaze policies of past: This 1995 Arizona Daily Star article describes the opinion of many forest managers that past fire suppression policies have led to the current forest fire management dilemma.
      
  5. Overgrazing fuels wildfires, environmentalists charge: This 1995 Arizona Daily Star article ascribes some of today's wildfire problem to past overgrazing of forests.
      
  6. Forest fire prevention cost put in billions: This 1994 Arizona Daily Star printing of an Associated Press news story puts a high price tag on solving the current dilemma of forest fire management in the West. Expensive yes, but, alas, something must be done.
      
  7. Fighting wildfires might make future fires worse: This 2015 CBS article and MinuteEarth video (only 3+ minutes long) summarize the wildfire situation.
      

Southwest Fire Home

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Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA
Main Office: (520) 621-1608, Fax: (520) 621-8229
Comments to Paul Sheppard: sheppard @ ltrr.arizona.edu

Copyright © 2000-2012, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona
Revised — April, 2012
URL: http://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/~sheppard/swland/overview.html