MyMotherLode.com got an interview with Dave Uberuaga the acting Superintendent of Yosemite National Park and asked him the questions on everyone’s mind, “why now?”
Question: Why would you start a prescribed burn given the heat and the fact that California is now in the third year of a drought?
Answer: “The drought in California was something that was factored into the decision. At the elevations we’re dealing with at Yosemite we have a lot of analysis that goes into anything that leads into a prescribed burn. Those are scientific. They look at everything from temperature and humidity, what is the drought conditions.”
Question: Knowing what you now know, would you ignite the Big Meadow prescribed burn again?
“Yes. As a manager if I don’t continue to evaluate and take the risk it’s easier not to do it in a short term to avoid any confrontations, to avoid any difficulties. If it does escape but it’s the wrong decision in the long run, I have the best fire team in the country. We have a lot of good science. I have to continue to make those decisions and assume those risks in order to protect a larger fire in the Park; to protect the communities in and around the Park that are totally surrounded by parkland and I’ll continue to do this with good science and the staff that I have … yes.” (MyMotherLode.com)
You can read the rest of the interview over at MyMotherLode.com
Comments
3 responses to “Dave Uberuaga Talks About the Big Meadow Fire”
There are a whole lot of irritated/outraged comments form the community in response. Dave is welcome to respond to their comments online as well.
You should be fired for your idiotic decision. I don’t care what kind of science you have or what kind of fire department you have. To say you would make the same decision again scares the hell out of me. I am scared because I live close to Yosemite and I don’t want you making those decisions.
In fact I would call your decision, criminal.
May I please ask: What were you thinking??? I know you are a very educated person but where is the common sense??? Last time I heard the term for text-book educated people who lack common sense is called “Educated Idiots”. Are you now going to walk around to see the effects of the fire in which you created? Do you care about what you have done, have you seen any of the poor animals that have burned to death or are suffering because of your actions?