Burned Mountain Road earned its name long before the Kincade fire

Burned Mountain and John Kincade roads, northeast of Geyserville, are where the Kincade fire ignited on Oct. 23. Before it was fully contained, more than 100 homes were lost, nearly 200,000 people evacuated, and much of the region was blacked out. It was an exceptional event - the biggest fire and evacuation in county history. And yet, the name “Burned Mountain Road” makes you wonder if something like it has happened before.

Kim Stafford observes in an essay “Naming the Northwest,” that for many native cultures, a place is “not something that is, but something that happens.” A name is a story. He cites old names from Vancouver Island, including a place called “Where Salmon Gather,” and twin islands, sometimes connected at low tide, known as “Two Round Things Meeting Now and Then.”

As it turns out, Burned Mountain Road has seen four fires since 1943. “Burned Mountain” is “something that happens.” After burning in the ’40s, fire returned with the 1991 Geysers fire (a name shared by four others). In 2015, it was torched by the Valley fire, which destroyed almost 2,000 homes in Lake County. And now, 2019.

The people of Sonoma County’s First Nations had a different relationship with fire. Recognizing it as part of the story of this land, they intentionally set fires every few years. Burning recycles nutrients and fertilizes the soil; it stimulates plant life and checks acorn worms and other pests. Regular burning made this a good place to live. It’s estimated that in those days, 10% of California burned annually (the Kincade burned nearly that much of the county) and most fires were intentionally started by humans. We think of fire as catastrophic, but more frequent fires burn at a much lower intensity.

Climate change is intensifying the fire story. By autumn, the Earth is drier than it used to be and the winds stronger. Minor events can set off devastating conflagrations - a spark flies from a metal stake being pounded into the ground, a tire goes flat and the rim throws an ember from the asphalt. You can probably guess how the “Squirrel fire” got its name and, though officially undetermined, what likely caused another called “PG&E #24” (yes, 23 other fires are also named “PG&E”). Just like in the old days, most fires are caused by people. But now it tends to happen accidentally.

Of course, the issue is not just fire. Burned Mountain Road must have been built on a scorched mountainside. We’re constantly constructing homes and infrastructure in fire-prone landscapes. Human short-sightedness is part of the equation. One answer is to fire harden dwellings and create defensible space around them. Another could be to leave the most fire-prone areas uninhabited.

Firefighters, more than anyone, are learning from experience. Their handling of the Kincade fire was an impressive show of heroism, expertise and a willingness to adjust to a new reality. Outside of fire season, they’re beginning to practice prescribed burning and other methods to proactively reduce fuel - a return to working with the fire cycle for the benefit of humans and the environment.

Where will the story go from here? Our whole relationship with fire needs to change.

Like it or not, it’s already happening.