Recently last summer I trekked with a scout group at Philmont Scout Rance in Cimarron, New Mexico. There we learned an extent of information about historical fires and prevention. The first inhabitants og Philmont were the Jicarilla Apache and Moache Ute Indians. The present ranch is part of the original Beaubien and Miranda Land Grant which was granted to Carlos Beaubien and Guadalupe Miranda by the Mexican government in 1841. Beaubien’s son-in-law, Lucien Maxwell, led the first settlers to the grant in 1848. With the help of his friend Kit Carson, Maxwell’s settlement on the Rayado River prospered, despite frequent Indian raids and harsh wilderness conditions. Philmont is an area of 137,500 acres and the majority of the land was donated by Waite Phillips. He donated a huge area including the ground camp and after they renamed the territory once known as Philturn Rocky Mountian Scputcamp.
Philmont has experienced many wild fires in the past,most of them natural and healthy for the environment, but some have been caused by human carelessness. That is why whenever a new group treks through Philmont they sign a contract abiding to certain rules so unnatural forest fires won’t arise. The only fire that’s aloud is the camping fire and even that isn’t used frequently because we all are issued propane gas and grates to cook over. But when fires are started they can only be started in fire rings already set in camps. No one is allowed to play with fire and if they are the adults with them will take necessary action to make sure the foolishness doesn’t occur again.
The fires have occurred multiple times ranging from 1990 until 2006. Some of the larger, well known fires were the Ponil Complex and Rivera Mesa fire. The Rivera Mesa fire destroyed so many trees that the entire North Land had to be closed. Although these fires were destructive and unfortunate, no one was hurt and the most extraordinary part of it is the Ponderosa Pine.
This exquisite tree is the stepping stone of evolutionary conquest for the processes in which new saplings are born. that after the The pines and cones are unusually perfect for producing quick, hot fires and the reason for this is that when they are engulfed in fire, it triggers them ti excrete the saplings because their bark is so thick that they’re fire resistant. This results in new saplings to be there during and after the fire is extinguishes. No other tree is as powerful and majestic as the Ponderosa Pine. So the fires in Philmont were quite large and have quite a history for it.
