Fuel to the Fire

Fire expert Manny L’Esperance, dedicated to protecting New Mexicans, says it is urgent that steps are taken to prevent another disastrous fire. Los Alamos, landlocked atop mesas and surrounded by thousands of acres of forest—much of it dry and brittle—is prime fire hazard territory. The recent Cerro Grande Fire burned 47,000 acres and, enhanced by droughts, left desiccated timber and grass that burns fast and furiously. Add grasses and ground cover prevalent from recent rains and there are ripe wildfire conditions.

“We have to reduce the fuel load, and we’ve considered all methods. The bottom line is that the fuel is still there,” said L’Esperance, Los Alamos National Laboratory fire management officer. “There is more of a human health risk now.”

Good Neighbors Protect One Another

The Laboratory has not conducted prescribed burns since prior to the Cerro Grande fire in 2000. There is a vast wildland-urban interface with dense stands of trees and accumulating dead material on the ground.

According to government documents, prior to the 20th century, ponderosa pine forests had the highest fire frequency of all nearby forest types. These fires—often ignited by lightning—were frequent, low-intensity surface fires that kept the forest floor clean of dangerous dead wood and needles and recycled nutrients vital for soil health, which, in turn, support plant and wildlife species. These same forests are now dense and choked with dry fuels awaiting a mere spark to catch flame.

After the prevalent fires in this decade, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior developed the National Fire Plan. The National Fire Plan and the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 and the Los Alamos Community Wildfire Protection Plan emphasizes restoring ecosystems, using fire as a management tool and improving collaboration to meet goals. The primary goals of the Los Alamos plan are to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire, protect citizens, and promote environmental health while reducing the costs of major fires. The plan will be reviewed annually and revised based on changes in climate, development, and citizen response.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is collaborating with members of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan to safeguard property and restore forest health and wildlife habitat. The Laboratory is not working alone to protect our lands; members of the Interagency Wildfire Management Team that follow this plan include citizen groups, nearby Pueblos, local government agencies, U.S. Forest Service districts and local National Parks.

This group recently launched an extensive plan that includes various types of fuel reduction—from removing hazardous fuel sources to planned burns. All factors have been considered to ensure these measures will have no negative effect on the environment, habitats and cultural or archeological treasures. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and air quality officials approved air, soil and water analysis, and the Interagency Wildfire Management Team also researched the historic use of potential burn sites to ensure there are no contaminants.

“We are not exposing people to any unnecessary hazards,” L’Esperance said. “That fuel is going to burn whether we light it or someone throws a cigarette out the window—it won’t sit there a hundred years and decompose.”

Beginning this fall, the Lab will remove hazards from high traffic areas and heavily forested canyons and create buffer zones near populated sites in Los Alamos and White Rock and along San Ildefenso Pueblo. This year’s plan includes pile burns—no broadcast burns—during favorable weather that provides good ventilation to minimize the impact on air-quality, which will be constantly monitored. Forested areas along Los Alamos canyons will be thinned or masticated by hand, with the initial plan’s focus to be on improving forest health. The prescribed burns for 2008 will take place on 198 acres near the Laboratory’s Technical Area 54 and 15 acres along Fence Canyon. The Lab is also creating large buffers between potentially hazardous Lab property, such as explosives testing sites, and public property.

More About Manny

Brawny, with masculine silver eagle and bear claw jewelry, L’Esperance looks conspicuously like Smokey the Bear (note, the real Smokey was found in the aftermath of a New Mexico fire). One look at his office makes it clear that this man adores the outdoors and likely prefers it. Skulls of wild animals—predators and prey—found by L'Esperance line a bookshelf; nature posters and animal trinkets adorn every space.

L’Esperance, also a State Game and Fish Conservation Officer, is frequently out in the field, checking Laboratory sites for potential hazards and protecting wildlife. During the comparatively brief time L'Esperance is in his office, he is swamped by phone calls and visitors eager for informed advice. It’s clear he has great respect for the land and would do everything possible to protect it.