Did Massive Deforestation Cause the Fires of 1910?

In the summer of 1910, a devastating series of forest fires swept over Idaho, Montana, and Washington, culminating on August 20–21 in what is known as the "Big Blowup." Official reports after the Big Blowup estimated that 1,736 total fires burned more than 3 million acres of private and federal land and consumed an estimated 7.5 billion board feet of timber. At least 85 people were killed. Several small towns were completely destroyed, and one-third of Wallace was burned. Smoke from the fires reached New England and soot travelled all the way to Greenland. Nationally, wildfires in 1910 consumed more than 5 million acres. The Lake States region saw its worst fire season ever, with more than a million acres lost. (Forest History Society)

It is strongly recommended that you read our previous post, entitled Lumber Industry Responsible for BC Fires, which shows the clear link between forest fires and active logging. Imagine how many giant red cedars and giant old trees were cut down during the early 1900s (see photos below), and just think how much moisture those massive roots retained underground, as well as their contribution to evapotranspiration. Now consider what else was happening during the early 1900s:

Between 1900 and 1930, multiple lumber mills were put into place, which accelerated the pace of logging in the region. In 1906, a land clearing forest fire that started near Leek road in Roberts Creek got out of hand and spread more than 5 kilometers towards Gibsons. Although no lives were lost, the fire destroyed a sawmill near Payne Creek, along with the majority of the flume it used, as well as most of the standing timber in the area. This frightening event halted logging in the vicinity for almost 20 years, but also served to open it up for more settlement. (Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives)

Native Americans used fire throughout North America for thousands of years and influenced the

ecosystems and fire regimes of the areas they inhabited. Native American use of the natural

environment was limited to meeting personal and communal needs rather than intense market

oriented production. In estimating the impact of Native Americans on fire regimes in U.S. Day

(Day 1953) considered the duration of occupation of the landscape, population density,

population concentration and movement, and local patterns of settlement and location of village

sites in the northeastern US. Over the past 300 years the influence of Native American burning

appears to be increasingly less significant compared to the impact of European settlement and the

influence of modern era human activities notably agriculture, industrialization, and contemporary land use. (Pyne 1982) - (Fire History and Climate Change)