Western & Southwestern States, Fire Fighting & Rescue, Forests & Trees
Log in to track your reading progress.
Overview
The massive wildfire racing down a mountain toward a nuclear research center in New Mexico wasn't caused by carelessness. It was deliberately set by the U.S. National Park Service on May 4, 2000, as a "controlled burn" to prevent future forest fires. Instead, it quickly blazed out of control, destroying acres of forests, consuming homes, and causing the evacuation of Los Alamos and other cities. Learn how firefighters worked to contain this environmental disaster and see why fire control remains a controversial practice.Describes the events surrounding the wildfire that raged in New Mexico in 2000 and the resulting debate over the policy of prescribed burning, or purposely setting fires as a means of forest management.
Editorials
Children's Literature
Author Bryan describes the May 2000 Los Alamos wildfires with clarity. The introduction to this "Environmental Disasters" book explains how the raging firestorm burned 45,000 acres of wilderness and destroyed more than two hundred homes and businesses. Although the Los Alamos wildfire was not the West's biggest fire, it drew the nation's attention because it was set on purpose by the National Park Service though a policy of "controlled burns." However, the controlled fire became a wild land fire due to a combination of human error and weather conditions. The following chapters describe the reasons for controlled burns, how the fire burned out of control, what was being done to prevent a catastrophe, recovery, and the controversy that surrounds the "controlled burns." Bryan also devotes a chapter on "Learning to Live with Fire" and how the Los Alamos community dealt with the tragedy. Good color photographs, many interesting sidebars, a time line, glossary, further reading and Internet sites are also included. 2004, World Almanac Library, Ages 10 up.— Della A. Yannuzzi
Book Details
Published
August 1, 2003
Publisher
Gareth Stevens
Pages
48
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780836855074