I was going to review the excellent book "The Big Burn" by Timothy Egan in this post, but there is already a wonderful book review by Tony Horwitz that was published in the New York Times on October 29, 2009. Here's the link to that review: Wilderness Warriors.
Another review of "The Big Burn" that was published September 17, 2009 can be found at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Timothy-Egan-on-The-Big-Burn.html.
"The Big Burn" happened in 1910 and burned about three million acres; it is believed to be the largest fire in U.S. recorded history. I highly recommend you read this book, both new and used copies can easily be found, and Amazon.com has a Kindle edition.
I would like to show you some pictures taken recently that still show the long-lasting scars of the Biscuit fire. The "Biscuit Fire" burned 500,000 acres in the Siskiyou National Forest, and it started ten years ago today; July 13, 2002.
I find it both fascinating and terrifying that ten years ago, like now, was a very active fire season, with major fires burning in Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. Crews from the Pacific Northwest were busy fighting these blazes in other states when our forest caught fire.
These photos were taken in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness along the Baby Foot Lake Ridge Trail.
It's been ten long years since the Biscuit Fire; small shrubs, oak and wildflowers are returning, but it still looks devastating.
The Josephine County Historical Society has an electronic book on CD about the Biscuit fire by Charles R. Manfield available for purchase. It's $25 and you can order it online at JoCoHistorical.org,
or in our Research Library at 512 SW 5th St, Grants Pass, OR.
The library hours are Tuesday-Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
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