Wildfires are almost always thought of by modern Americans as catastrophes.  And, fires certainly are capable of causing great damage to  human developments and natural environments.

For most of us, wildfire conjures images of threatened or burned homes, blackened forests, Smokey Bear.  That’s part of the truth about wildfire.

However, many ancient cultures, from Egypt across the Middle East to China and Japan, as well as several Native American groups, have similar myths about a creature, usually a bird, that rises from the ashes of a fire.  The most famous of the mythological birds is called The Phoenix.  It’s a symbol of renewal, regeneration, resurrection. 

These mythological symbols capture another part of the truth about wildfire.  Often fires are part of renewal and regeneration processes.  Periodic fire is a factor in many Wyoming ecosystems.

Usually, when a ground fire sweeps across a grassland or mountain forest in the western U.S., the non-woody perennial plants survive.  The fire’s heat doesn’t often penetrate more than an inch or so into the soil.  The tops may be consumed, but the below-ground parts of the plant are not killed. 

After the fire, with no dead plant material to insulate it, the sun warms the soil and nutrients from the ash enter it.  If there’s any moisture in the ground, the plants usually respond quickly with a flush of growth. 

It’s natural to dread wildfire and we certainly don’t want frequent blazes or those that destroy property.  However, we may wish to season our images of destruction with some of the wisdom of the ancients…with stories of the Phoenix…with symbols of renewal.

The resiliency of our ecosystems in the face of major disturbances such as wildfire is one of the Wonders of Wyoming.  I’m Gene Gade, of the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service.