Smoke Filled Valleys From Fires Raging Six Months After Helene

Red Shouldered Hawk Asking Why

For the past few days the smoke has been terrible where I live in Western North Carolina. Numerous fires are burning and every day more pop up due to the very dry conditions and number of downed trees and branches in the forest and elsewhere. Though tree crews and the county have been picking up debris for the past six months, there is still so much more to do and we’ve all been on tenterhooks waiting to see if the region would burn up if we entered a drought. When I got home in the early afternoon, I saw this hawk perched on a branch in my backyard. It stayed there for about an hour. I went out and spoke with it for a while, but then I started feeling sick despite being masked. Dave put some water in the bird feeder., since the creek behind our house is so low. (We’d been feeding the birds all winter, but stopped recently because of concerns about bird flu and our own animals.) The hawk just looked at me as if to ask why? My heart was breaking for this creature and I worry about his respiratory system. Birds and other animals, including our pets, can’t wear N-95s. I sensed that the bird was resting and not feeling well. The way hawks breathe, in a continuous loop from the holes in their beaks into their abdominal air sacs and lungs, to anterior sacs, and back out through their nostrils, is way more efficient than how humans breathe, which allows them to get more oxygen so they can fly. Unfortunately, it also means that they can inhale more pollutants than we do . This causes them to have difficulty breathing and develop infections, which can weaken their immune systems and cause them to become confused and lethargic. It is possible this bird left an area that was burning, but even if it was local the smoke here is enough to lead to long term health problems.

For a long while the hawk tried to clean its feathers. Besides making it difficult to breathe, smoke on a hawk’s wings can cause damage and make it hard to fly. The hawk looked like it was going to fly away a couple of times and then repositioned itself. It finally left while I was in the shower, but I am glad it found a place to rest for so long in our yard.

Hawk Pondering the Smoke

The air was so filled with smoke that we could not see the mountains in the distance. The sky was quite gray and hazy. We’ve seen fewer smaller birds since the fires began and I wonder what has happened to all the creatures that live on our mountain, not to mention the areas that are on fire or have been scorched. These poor animals have not contributed to the destruction of our planet and they deserve our protection, especially since they are unable to take shelter indoors. Their only option is to relocate, and that can be difficult when they are feeling the effects of smoke inhalation. I also feel badly for the horses in the field behind our house. They seemed to be walking at a very slow pace today. We have been under a red alert for air quality, yet I keep driving by houses with pets who have been left by themselves in yards. We have been keeping our dogs inside, except for very short walks so they can take care of their business.

Life, Death, and Smoke

I am not usually an angry person, but right now I am very mad. This area was once one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. When I moved here in 2017, the climate was very different. I’m shocked by the changes I have witnessed in seven years. I have seen floods in January, lightning strikes in February, and last year we had two major floods including Helene. Now my beloved woods are burning up. I became enamored with trees after moving here and I frequently visit my favorites, although now many trails are no longer accessible. When I think of all the fires burning out of control in our woods, I want to cry for them and all the lifeforms that live there. Yet, the current administration wants to get rid of NOAA and FEMA and no one in the federal government is permitted to reference climate change. Perhaps they are correct. That term should cease to be used, since really what we are looking at is the annihilation of the planet. There are fires in Florida and South Korea now too. My once beautiful street looks like this now, and this is after a major cleanup effort. The Bartlett pear tree on the right was hacked by the electrical company last year, so it wouldn’t affect the power lines during worsening storms. The tree on the left is still festooned with debris from Cane Creek behind the trees on the right. Normally, the Blue Ridge Mountains are clearly visible in the distance, but not now. We couldn’t even see the faintest outline of them. If we keep turning a blind eye, things are only going to get worse and at a much faster pace.

The image on the left is of cover crops that had to be planted following Helene, to remove toxins and help the soil recover. You can see all the smoke trapped by the mountain, which is typically clearly visible. The image on the right is a close up of those cover crops. The farmer recently told my husband that he has to get his soil back, because it was stripped away by the floodwaters and so many toxins were deposited making it unhealthy to grow edible crops. At least the cover crops are making the barren areas more appealing, and fortunately this farmer knows what he is doing.

The Tree Graveyard with Mountains Veiled in Smoke

The image above is of the tree graveyard, as we call it. It is the size of several football fields are there are mountains of mulch. People are working there seven days a week. Everyone is trying to do what needs to be done to keep the area safer from potential fires, but they are still erupting all around us. There is just too much fuel.

There are still traces of beauty amidst the destruction and I constantly find myself thanking those trees that are still standing. They are trying to hang onto the soil and reach for the sun and find whatever nutrients they can to sustain themselves. A lot of debris has been cleaned from Cane Creek, but the mountains should have been visible in the distance here as well. Trees, even when they don’t burn, are affected by the pollutants in wildfire smoke too. They can’t relocate like the hawk did, but it turns out they can hold their breath like we do. They do so by closing their pores and reducing their level of photosynthesis. (https://theconversation.com/trees-dont-like-to-breathe-wildfire-smoke-either-and-theyll-hold-their-breath-to-avoid-it-227318#:~:text=When%20wildfire%20smoke%20is%20in,doors%20and%20hold%20their%20breath.) Unfortunately, this can affect the long term health of trees and they have been struggling since Helene hit our area. I don’t know how people in power can turn their backs on this planet we all call home so blithely. No matter what party you are affiliated with, the Earth is your only home. How can’t people in power fail to see that biodiversity is critical for the perpetuation of life. I don’t understand how rivers and air and trees and soil aren’t revered, and why everyone isn’t more worried about catastropphic floods and fires. We need to track these events and find ways to mitigate or at least slow what is happening, not get rid of data and research grants and even scientists. It is my backyard today, but if yours hasn’t been affected yet it will be. No place is safe any more. I’m glad the farmers near me are taking steps to help their soil recover, and I’m grateful there are people studying soil health at Warren Wilson college who can help. We need all hands on deck though, before more of our ecosystems and houses get washed away or burn up.

Cane Creek Six Months After Helene Hit As Wildfires Burn Nearby

Despite all the efforts on the part of FEMA, the State of North Carolina, contracted tree experts, private arborists, volunteers, and property owners, much of Western North Carolina still looks like this and worse. This area is closer to homes, so it’s better than many places people will eventually be able to get to it to finish the job. However, the surrounding mountains, especially areas deep in the wilderness with steep terrain have not been touched yet. Whole hillsides can go up in flames quite quickly, and once a fire is established it can travel up to 14 miles an hour. The current wildfires that are closest to us are one county away, and there have been some in Bumcombe county too although yesterday they managed to put one out. A new one could start at any time and spread as quickly as the others. The whole area is like a tinder box. Fortunately, rain is forecast for Sunday and Monday, and we are all praying it helps put the fires out or at least enables firefighters to get them under control. Please keep us in your thoughts. The people and wildlife here have been through too much already. We try to stay hopeful, but each disaster makes it more difficult and not everyone is back in their homes yet. And who knows where all the creatures have had to relocate. Please keep your pets inside until the fires are gone, and leave food or water for animals you might encounter traveling