https://freerepublic.com/tag/loweredresivoirs/ en-us Mon, 9 Aug 2004 02:16:27 GMT Focus Forum 15 https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1187659/posts Why the West Is Burning A five-year drought has parched soils, lowered reservoirs and weakened forests. And if the past is any guide, the dry spell could go on for decades By J. MADELEINE NASH/SAGE Monday, Aug. 16, 2004 In California the wildfire season generally ramps up slowly, and the largest fires usually don't arrive until fall. But this year is different, says Riverside County fire captain Rick Vogt, surveying the aftermath of a blaze that swept through the rural community of Sage, 80 miles from San Diego, with unseasonal intensity late last month, blackening more than 3,500 acres. Fire... Time on line edition https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1187659/posts#comment Mon, 9 Aug 2004 02:16:27 GMT