Host Georgia Lee, FBH staffers John Harrell and Jen Klein, and DCR District 4 Fire Warden Karyn Lothrop gather before the start of the event.
President of the FBH Board Matt Panucci warmly welcomed the crowd of about 40 people with a little history lesson on past fires in the Blue Hills and efforts to control them. He pointed (literally) to a binder from the earliest days of FBH that described the volunteer fire brigade that used to help fight fires in the park until the early 2000s. Matt reflected the feeling in the room, saying “We care deeply about what happens in the park and want to be part of the solution.”
What’s next?
Executive Director Jen Klein shared important details on the conditions leading up to November’s fire, remarkably how a year of record rain in 2023 was followed immediately by one of record drought. She reminded us, “While fire certainly plays a role in forest ecology, it can make habitats more susceptible to invasive plant species.” So what can we do? “For one, we can continue our work to keep trails safe and clear,” she said. “Well-maintained trails provide fire breaks to minimize fire spread and enable crews to get where they need to go in the park. But how we do the work in the park has to change due to climate change.”
Jen reiterated that proceeds from this fundraiser are going directly back to the park for immediate trailwork.
“The plan is to have FBH crews on site in affected areas of the park starting next month working on trail restoration where needed. We will also be expanding our efforts around invasive species control. We will be monitoring the affected sections of the park for new growth.”
The importance of education
With Jen’s experience as an educator, it’s no surprise that education is one of the pillars of the FBH post-fire plan. She said, “Public education is a pretty powerful tool. The fire itself was very likely caused by immediate error of human judgment. FBH will be offering free guided field trips for public schools, and expanding our adopt-a-trail program, which relies on volunteers to go out into the park to be our eyes and ears. The goal is to have 50% of Blue Hills trails adopted by the end of 2025.”
DCR’s invaluable input
Note the fire’s sudden stopping point at the edge of the Skyline Trail.
Karyn Lothrop, DCR Fire Warden for all of District 4 (which goes way beyond the Blue Hills) gave us a detailed explanation of how local fire departments and DCR staff fought the November fire. “We’re living in a not so normal normal time,” she said. “In general, all the fires in the Blue Hills are human caused.” Lothrop also shared details on the timeline for fighting the fire, describing how the Skyline Trail came into play as the primary path that they used to “box in” the fire. Houghton’s Path also came into play as a way to limit fire spread–in part because it used to be a road. Even so, DCR couldn’t say for sure the fire was out until the rains on November 22 confirmed it.
When thinking about the plant life that burned, Lothrop noted, “The fire took care of many invasive species along Hillside Street. We don’t know if it will come back, but this spring we may see plants we haven’t seen for years now that sunlight is again hitting the forest floor.” She also reminded us that DCR has habitat and fire management plans for the Blue Hills that are revisited every five years or so.
As expected, DCR fire wardens have been paying close attention to the most recent devastating fires in California, and the evening ended with a lively question and answer period. Robust conversation involved not just the Blue Hills locally but also fire safety, prevention, and management at large.
What can you do?
Lothrop recommends checking out the Firewise USA program from the National Fire Protection Association right here in Quincy. It has lots of information and resources to help you protect your family, home, and neighborhood from wildfires. Also, be sure to check the FBH calendar frequently for updates on planned outings in the park for ecological monitoring, trail restoration, and educational programming.
All these efforts are supported by membership and donations from the public. If you are able and interested in protecting the forest, please donate today. Only together can we protect the natural beauty of the Blue Hills.
