Carr Fire CATlines: The Environmental Impacts of Bulldozers in Wildfire Suppression
“It can take hundreds of years to create a few inches of fertile soil in mountainous forests, and this precious resource can be stripped away in minutes with the passing of a bulldozer’s blade”
-Michael Beasley
A CATline carved into a ridge near Shasta Lake during the 2018 Carr Fire.
The construction of fire containment lines with bulldozers, called “catlines” in the lexicon of wildland firefighters, is a routine activity in wildfire suppression.
Bulldozers can carve firelines at a faster pace and work next to higher flames than ground crews working with handtools. In the right places and conditions, catlines can successfully stop fire spread and contain a given section of a wildfire. However, bulldozing a fireline is one of the most environmentally destructive means of fighting wildfires.
CATlines:
heavily impact soils, slopes and streams
create linear clearcuts that fragment forest habitats
create hazardous fuel loads for future wildfires
create “ghost roads” for illegal off-road vehicle use
destroy Native American artifacts and cultural sites
are becoming increasingly less effective in stopping wildfire spread
Bulldozers were used extensively on the 2018 Carr Fire in northern California, almost to no effect in preventing the wildfire from spreading across 230,000 acres and roaring into the city of Redding where it ignited an urban conflagration that destroyed or damaged nearly 2,000 homes. Eight people were killed, including three firefighters, one of whom was a bulldozer operator. Another dozer operator was severely injured and almost died.
Read FUSEE’s full report on the Carr Fire CATlines and check out the video below:
The destructive bulldozer (CATlines) of the Carr Fire. Video made in partnership with Balance Media.