Why this is the age of "megafires"

By: 60 Minutes Overtime Staff
Topics: 60 Rewind

Half of this country's resources for fighting wildfires is now in Colorado, battling wildfires that are still on the move in many parts of the Rocky Mountain state. In just one day, one of these infernos - the Waldo Canyon Fire - doubled in size, fueled by dry timber, strong winds, and high temperatures.

A few years ago, during one of the worst fire seasons in recorded history, Scott Pelley went out on the fire lines to investigate the rise of massive forest infernos called "megafires." In Idaho, Scott joined up with a team of "hot shot" firefighters as they tackled a fire that was raging all around them.

To learn what it takes to fight one of these infernos and why we're facing more and more fires of this size, watch Scott's 2007 report (above), "The Age of Megafires."

For an update on the Colorado fire, watch this report from the CBS Evening News:

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by eleahall July 1, 2012 5:27 PM EDT: Knewsteerrrr, you obviously only heard part of the program. Outing fires immediately is just one factor.

A major cause that was mentioned is global warming. With global warming, spring comes earlier, summer is longer, wood and brush dries out more, and there is a longer fire season.

The interviewer said that some people didn't believe in global warming. The firefighter said, "You won't find them on the fireline in the American west....We know what we're seeing."

(Some people say we can't afford the cost of combating global warming. I think we can't not afford to combat it -- the costs, in wildfires, etc. are too great.); Reply to this comment


by knewsteerrrrr June 30, 2012 10:32 PM EDT: THESE guys in the fire lines are the REAL heros! not those overpaid morons who play football!; Reply to this comment


by knewsteerrrrr June 30, 2012 10:30 PM EDT: Im GLAD they brought up the real cause- the stupid naive policy of the last 100 years of outting out every fire immediately causing a HUGE amount of dead debris to build up all across the forest floors- feet thick. MAN's stupidity and interferance again rear's it's ugly head- same as it has with wildlife "management" causing deer populations to explode, insects to explode.
The forests are not only under attack by acid rain, climate change and fires, but humans tearing down trees for lumber for MORE houses! This is why every new additional mouth born is killing the planet and like they said, we stand to lose HALF the forests in the west,and you can bet most of the rest will be used for lumber.; Reply to this comment

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