It’s difficult to read letters vilifying the D&SNG train (or Mr. Harper) for possibly being the cause of the 416 Fire. It’s a character flaw when you have the compulsive need to assign blame for anything you don’t like. That’s what‘s happening. One might as well blame Mother Nature for the drought or for lightning that could have just as easily started it. Should we blame the Forest Service for suppressing fires for decades leading to uncontrollable burns? Forests must burn to be healthy. The most pristine forest nearby is the Lime Creek Burn of 1879 near Molas Pass. Why no indignation for that one? Some only look at a forest’s health in terms of months or years when they should be looking at decades or centuries. The forest will actually be healthier for this fire. The train has been running for 136 years without major incident. It has been a great corporate partner and the highest contributor to our stable economy. Some are too ignorant or too intent on placing fault to care. We owe our gratitude to the firefighters. The $30 million spent to fight the fire is a bargain. It wouldn’t take the loss of many homes in Rockwood or the Glacier Club to easily exceed that amount. When we build in the forest-urban interface, we should do three simple things: Mitigate fuel from around our property. Know what we want to take with us when we have to evacuate. Pay our fire insurance premiums.
Edward Horvat
Durango
