A pretty cool overview with a TON of pictures and maps. Just keep scrolling down on the story and it'll keep loading new stuff as it progresses.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/6cc3fc722350459aaa161dc5a4de8836?utm_campaign=FourTown+StoryMap

Thanks for posting this. I was up on the Sawbill side during all this and I have to admit that I didn't know there even was a fire on Fourtown.

I scrolled through that link on my cell phone and I am AMAZED at the PowerPoint style presentation of the slide show that can be illustrated by just scrolling through that website. Very detailed descriptions and photos with accompanying position on a map. Wow.

The feel good fire story of the year.

I’ve taken the same position as the author for many years that fires benefit the forest in the long run. The natural cycle of fire starting way before we showed up is what has created the forests we see today. We stepped in and changed fire behavior with excessive suppression and created unhealthy forests and more abundant in fuels.

I have walked through the Turtle Lake fire north and east of Bald Eagle and the Pagami fire yearly since their burns and have been truly amazed at the forest regrowth.

The foretown fire is easily accessible and I would encourage anyone with the ability to observe the regrowth annually. In 20 years you would have to tell someone there was a fire at that location otherwise it would go unnoticed.

There are many notable fires from the past that are nearly erased. The north side of Gabbro burned in 1994. There was a fire on Nina Moose in the 80’s I think. There are many many others but those too have vanished into the forest.

Tom

Really cool. Thanks for sharing.