In June of 2017, a man started a controlled fire on his land to create a “defensible space” from forest fires around his cabin. Ironically, this was the cause of one of the worst forest fires in Utah history,The Brian Head Fire. Crossing over Iron and Garfield county, the fire lasted a month and destroyed thirteen homes, evacuated nearly 1,600 people, and burned down over 70,000 acres of forest. 

 

In the 1990s during Bill Clinton’s presidency, he  started implementing laws to protect land in the West. These laws maintained forest health keeping them clean and beautiful through controlled fires getting rid of brush, forest rangers keeping the land clean, and spraying for beetles that would infest the trees. However, these laws prevented ranchers from using the land for their animals. Families livelihoods were at stake. There was a conflict between regulation on the land and the use of land for the necessities of living. Instead of finding a balance, the funding was eventually cut leaving the land to farmers with no protective precautions. The forest quickly went downhill with climate change, becoming more dry and hazardous over the years. There was no effort to keep the forest healthy and it quickly declined. As a result it is no surprise that what was supposed to be a  small controlled fire, quickly got out of control. A single acorn on the forest floor became a kerosene bomb. 

 

Two years later, I photographed parts of the Dixie National Forest that were heavily affected by this fire. This was a dangerous and tragic fire but there are signs of new growth as well as animals reintegrating into their homes. As the fire heated the trees of this forest, it triggered a release of seeds that have started to sprout. The forest is slowly recovering, and although Mother Nature has taken her course, the forest is still prone to fires, as well as mudslides and floods.. The forest is vulnerable to invasive animals, has an unbalanced ecosystem, and many of the trees are disintegrated. There is a lingering fear within the people that live here, and no one seems to know what is being done to fix this unstable forest environment.

 

While photographing this space, I pondered on what happened and I am not sure what the answer is to resolve this issue. There are many factors one could assign blame for how out of control this fire was, but it happened. What are people doing to move forward to a better future? I don’t know whose responsibility it should be to protect the land, and who should or shouldn’t use the land. There needs to be a balance between people and nature where they can live harmoniously, but what is the right way to to achieve this? Printed on photographic paper made in Utah, I have created images reminding people of, and bringing awareness to, the state that The Dixie National Forest is currently in.