Colorado Wildfire May Have Been Intentionally Set

The New York Times ^ | June 19, 2002 | Michael Janofsky

[DemoSmear]

As a curious Hoosier (here in Indiana, we've been getting the rain you so BADLY need...), how close to the park is the fire?

I went through there a few years ago, looking at the petrified stumps and hiking the trails and marveling at the yurts.

Yes, well we've been watching your rain green with envy. BTW, that's the only thing that's green around here now.

Woodland Park, as you'll recall isn't a park per se; rather, it's a small mountain town that is right to the south of the fire. They are on standby to evacuate. The larger threat today was to the Palmer Lake and Monument areas north of Colorado Springs and just east of the fire. They were strongly recommended to evacuate last night.

Although, as of now the town has not been directly threatened. Today, the firefighters established an eastern line of defense to try and thwart the fire's advance.

The petrified stumps you refer to are actually in Florissant, close to Lake George where the fire began. I don't think it burned the petrified forest area though.

[hoosierham]

Private landowners have a strong tendency to "bush-hog" their land, especially the areas around building, roads, and level places.

I think private owners would also have harvested a lot of firewood.

I grant that private owners' practice of burning brushpiles has stopped largely due to fear of government fines and confiscation threats. Just as the government has decreed no removal of gravel or rock without THEIR permission regardless of previous right of ownership.

It is my firm belief that ownership usually leads to taking better care of the thing in question. Common ownership leads to let somebody else do it.

[The Raven]

Insanity defense!