Treebeard's Stumper 17 September 1999

Wild Fire

Fire is on my mind. It's our first topic in science class. It's also the peak of the wildfire season, and I live in the woods. We witnessed an arson-caused fire on our way to the Sierras and watched bombers drop retardant. The week before, lightning started a fire near Red Rock, too close to home. There have always been lightning strikes and summer-dry chaparral ready to burn. But bombers and hotshot crews are something new. What controlled wildland fires before modern procedures? Did the whole state burn at once?

Lightning-caused fire burning into the backcountry behind Red Rock on August 26, 1999. Santa Barbara city firefighter Stephan Masto died fighting this fire, apparently from heat stroke.

Answer

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