Crowsnest Fires 2003
Transcript of Crowsnest Fires 2003
CROWSNEST FIRES2003
Figure 1. Crowsnest Fire1
AUGUST 21, 2003
a seasonal wildfire transformed into a giant fire:• 6 km long• 50 m high
Figure 2. Wildfire2
Equivalent in energy
of an atomic
explosion every 30 minutes
Figure 3. Explosion3
HRUBY’S STORY
“[She] drove about 20 km west along the
valley, sat down on a rock ledge overlooking
1,359-m-high Crowsnest Pass and watched the flames
veer down on Hillcrest.”Figure 4. Alberta Fire4
The Impact
over 20,000 hectares of forest burned
The blaze negatively affected:the timber industrylocal businessestourism
Spray Lake Sawmills benefited from all the burnt lumber by salvaging it.
Ecological Pros and Cons of Burned Areas
Cons: Large burned
areas are black and appear devoid of life
Figure 5. Dead forest5
Pros:Creates ecological diversity and allows for the development of rich undergrowth that
wasn’t there before.
Figure 6. Pine Forest6
PHOTO REFERENCES:1. Image obtained from: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (2003),
Residents poised to flee Crowsnest Pass fire, [online image]. Retrieved September 22, 2009 from http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2003/07/31/fire030731.html
2. Image obtained from: US Forest Service (2009), Naches Ranger District Fire Management, [online image]. Retrieved September 22, 2009 from http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/fire/naches/ia-crew.shtml
3. Image obtained from: Atalee (2006), Watching the Anti-American/Israeli Axis, [online image]. Retrieved September 22, 2009 from http://freeatalee.wordpress.com/2006/08/09/august-22-surprise/
4. Image obtained from: Copyright © Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Effect of wildfire on hydrology and water quality, [online image]. Retrieved September 22, 2009 from http://www.environment.uwaterloo.ca/planning/faculty/stone/wildfire.html
5. Image obtained from: Welton, D. (photographer) (2006), Oregon Summer, [online image]. Retrieved September 22, 2009 from http://www.welton.it/photos/oregon_summer_2006-mountains/burnt_forest.jpg
6. Image obtained from: Waygoods, O. (photographer) (2004), Pine forest at Kananaskis, [online image]. Retrieved September 22, 2009 from http://individual.utoronto.ca/owaygood/