Week 40 What Remains When a Forest Burns

Day 263

 The Ute Park Fire, in what I considered my neighborhood of Northern New Mexico, began on May 31, 2018 and was not contained until June 19th. The fire burned around homes of friends and closed a major road in and out of the Moreno Valley. The smoke columns dominated the skies, isolated us from friends in neighboring towns and required major detours to conduct any business in our county seat. And after a difficult winter with little snow and visitors it put quit to the summer season.

The fire fighting crews and equipment were based at the local airport and Eagle Nest Lake served as a source of water for the helicopters to dump on the flames. Tourism was essentially shut down while 36,740 acres of beautiful forest was burned. Rains began on June 3rd and helped stunt the fire but it also began the flooding along the watershed of Cimarron River. It seemed as if the destruction would never end. I did not get an opportunity to travel the road through the burn scar until September 19th. The sight of a once very familiar forest transformed by flames and water are burned into my mind. These are just a few images I recorded. But how do you adequately record what was done to a once green and lush place with clear rushing stream?

What I picture here are just the skeletons. Skeletons which are not visible when dressed in green as they should be.

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Day 265

There is a beauty in the bones. I found when I got home and uploaded the pictures - a step removed from the reality of what was lost - I loved the photos of scorched trunks and limbs in black and white. The fire burned fast through here and the trees seem to leave a promise they would green up come spring. But there was no spring. Spring and summer were gone as well as the life in the forest. The Philmont Boy Scout ranch had to cancel its season, Cimarron Canyon State park escaped damage but it was also closed much of its season. And the monsoons of summer continued to reek havoc on the essential watershed system.

I find the photo below most depressing with the cloaking mud and ash smothering the vegetation on the banks and the water no longer clear and blue. A total of 604 personnel fought the fire. There are still people fighting to restore a once vital river and ecosystem. They are less visible than the heavy lifting helicopters carrying buckets of water or the brave hot shot crews. But they will be working for far longer. There is no vegetation to stop the rains running down the steep slopes of the canyons.

Day 266

Even the rock cliffs seem to have been burned. They are still blacked after heavy monsoon rains for three months rushed the ash to the stream below.

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Day 268

But oddly the bones of the forest are still beautiful.

Day 269