The Two Bull Fire- 8/31/14

I have been wanting to check out the burned area for some time.  Saturday Bobbe and I drove into the burned area after dinner.  It has been years since I have been in that area only a few miles from Snowshoe Inn.  It looks like much of the east side has been divided into large lots.  I am assuming owners plan on future development as home sites.  I am biased and do not think that is such a good idea.  The risk of wild fires and the importance of the area as winter range for our mule deer population to me suggest that may be development should be pushed to the east and north of Bend.  The area is currently being salvaged logged and not a good place to visit at this time.  The logs are wind rowed along road and log decks are ready for shipping. 

At Bull Springs the riparian area is beginning to recover.  Aspen shoots are up to about 2 feet tall, alder shoot are a foot or so, bitter cherry shoots at 2 to 3 feet tall.  Columbine and fire weed are flowering and fern shoots are back. In the drier areas the snow brush is re spouting to about 1 to 2 feet tall.  The riparian areas and the snow brush were quick to begin to recover from the fire.  The heat from the fire was very pronounced.  In the controlled burns along Skyliners Road the fires left much of the duff over the soil in the Two Bulls Fire that duff is gone up in smoke.  It will be interesting to follow the burn area and see how the environment responds over time.  The forest will return but so slowly in Central Oregon.