They Saved an Idaho Forest and Now We Have a Debt to Pay

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few,” is a quote from Winston Churchill, who as British Prime Minister for most of World War Two praised the Royal Air Force for winning the Battle of Britain. To paraphrase the work of wildlands firefighters, “Never in the battle against the worst of Mother Nature was so much owed by so many to so few.” And their numbers are few.

Many are considered seasonal workers, and they’re paid that way. Just keep in mind, that pouring your tax dollars into Ukraine is a bigger priority for your government.

The Forest Service posted a video last week about the effort to tame the Bench Lake Fire in Idaho.

It documents heroism.

But the work isn’t done. Fires are burning across the West, including the largest in California history. The issue is politicized, with the left claiming man-made climate change is making recent fire seasons worse. The right (and its conservationists) argue we need the ability to clear the dead plant matter that acts as fuel. The forests burn because the left doesn’t want anyone to profit from cleaning up the fuel.

Global warming, or not, we need a solution. Because the toll on men and nature is fierce. If we can’t fund a proper firefighting force, then we need fewer fires. That should be obvious, and it should require a change in approach to land management. Nobody is happy with the current system.