A devastating look at the impacts of wildfires beyond the burn
News coverage of wildfires tends to focus on the acute events: A blaze erupts, people are evacuated, homes burn down, sometimes lives are lost. And rightfully so—it’s important to know what’s happening as it’s happening. As a result though, there are lots of articles and images out that describe and show flames engulfing forests and communities, and wildlands firefighters battling active burns. But what’s left when the smoke clears? At minimum, it takes years for ecosystems to recover from the worst wildfires. Often, years means decades. One 2011 study found that desert environments need more than 65 years to fully re-establish after the flames …