The Beginning of the End

Fire is ravaging the state of California, and with peoples' fascination with Nostradamus and his predictions, some in America are wondering if this is the beginning of the end. Sure, there are predictions of fire and brimstone raining down from the sky destroying all mankind, but the explanation is very simple. On a recent episode of a History Channel series Modern Marvels, biologists explain that the hills around Los Angeles were covered with natural pine forests that burned every so often, but were easily extinguished once the supply of fuel was burned. After the forests had burned it would regenerate in only a few years, but as settlers moved west they clearcut the vast forests leaving the hills barren. Wild grasses grew and settlers soon found that with the help of lightning and the Santa Ana winds the hills around the city were a giant tinder box waiting to ignite. Though it sounds harsh and cruel because people have died and many are now without homes, the lesson that should have been learned a long time ago is- don't interrupt the delicate balance of an ecosystem or it will come back to haunt you.