OPINION: Who would really do this?

By BEN OLSON/for The Herald  —  Would a candidate for the U.S. Presidency gleefully hope that the stock market would crash, ruining the financial fortunes of tens of million Americans, just to improve his chances of being elected?

Would a contracting company fighting the wildfires surrounding Oakridge intentionally drag their feet or just let the fires burn to lengthen the fire season and fatten their own wallet?

These are two very troubling scenarios. The first one actually happened a few days ago. The candidate sent out a tweet expressing those sentiments. It was in the news. If your news source didn’t think that this was important enough to cover, you’re missing out on quite a bit of other stuff as well. 

The second is a rumor that I’ve heard from a number of people in the last few days. There are no names mentioned and there is quite a lack of detail. Let me say for the record that I’m not buying into the idea that the help that has been sent is not doing their level best. Nevertheless, there are locals who seem to believe otherwise.

As with anything the Federal Government administers, the process can be torturously slow and complicated. It would be true to say that, in general, no, always, government contracting is fraught with waste and inefficiency. Why would it be any different in fighting the wildfires that happen every year in the American West? 

Unless you once worked on a fire crew, you really don’t know how this all works. Roads are closed and people are evacuated out of the fire zones. We never get to see the fire fighting operation. I can only imagine that it’s similar to combat against an enemy. Maps with elevation contours, weather reports with wind speeds and directions and aerial surveillance. In areas that are continuously forested, with few roads, sometimes there is no place to make a stand. Backburns seem to be the most effective way to contain a fire. They work as expected much of the time, but occasionally they have the opposite effect. 

As I hike the areas that were affected by previous fires in the Willamette National Forest, I can see some of the strategies that were employed. In most areas where backburning was used, the underbrush was cleared away and the fire didn’t kill or even damage any of the mature trees. 

It certainly can be said that when the fires threaten human habitation, a coordinated effort is put in place to save all lives and homes. With dozens of fires around Oakridge that are not bearing down on our town, hard decisions must be made as to where to send the limited manpower to the best use. 

I thank all the brave firefighters who are working to end the 2024 fire season. Just like in the past it will probably burn until the fall rains give the crews an edge. Innuendo about fire crews wanting to extend their season serves no useful purpose. We have to believe in our hearts that everyone here working on the Oakridge fires is doing the best that they can do.