Burn areas look 'like Ireland'

By: DAVE DOWNEY - Staff Writer
But emerald carpet sparks concern about invading exotic plants and fire risk | Monday, March 3, 2008 11:41 PM PST ∞

California wild flowers cover the hillsides Monday that were scorched in the Witch Creek fire in October just west of Lake Hodges along Del Dios Highway.
DON BOOMER Staff Photographer
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NORTH COUNTY -- The charred, denuded hills left behind by October's infernos are bursting with life again, showing off thick green carpets of new grass and, in some places, the vibrant colors of wildflowers such as the bright-orange California poppy.

As breath-taking as the emerald landscape is, it is also a threat to the environment and will become by summer a dangerous, flammable thatch of dry weeds that could spark the next wildfire.

"Everybody says, 'Oh, it looks like Ireland,'" said Rick Halsey, director of the Escondido-based California Chaparral Institute and an expert on Southern California's native plant communities.

But Halsey said the vivid green is largely a sign of an unhealthy ecosystem being invaded by foreign plants that crowd out native vegetation and reduce the food supply for wildlife -- and tend to spread after fire. The exotic grasses dry out in the heat of Southern California summers, for which they are not prepared, and will burn much easier than recovering native vegetation, he said.

"It's definitely greening up," said Shawna Anderson, environmental planner for the 55-mile-long San Dieguito River Park, about half of which burned in the 198,000-acre Witch Creek fire. "But a lot of what you see is just nonnative grasses."

Many of the wildflowers, on the other hand, are California natives. And out in the desert, visitors are enjoying a brilliant wildflower show for the first time in three years.

Halsey said the emerald carpet that has replaced the extensive layer of ash is largely the result of foreign grasses and weeds that were brought over by Europeans in California's early days.

They tend to bounce back faster than native plants. But they also turn brown in summer while slower-growing natives build up strength to survive the region's long, hot and dry summers, Halsey said.

At this point, the nonnatives are simply springing up where they already had sunk roots. But because they grow fast, they could spread to other areas before native plants come back, Anderson said.

River park officials are particularly concerned about the arundo, pepperweed and tamarisk shoots that are coming back "like gangbusters," she said.

In the back country, Halsey said, there is a danger hardy chaparral shrubs -- such as chamise, manzanita and ceanothus -- could disappear from those mountains and canyons that burned twice in the last four years, in both the 2003 Cedar and 2007 Witch Creek fires.

Not everyone believes the chaparral is in danger of disappearing.

"I have seen one hell of a lot of fires," said retired rancher Warren Hooper, 72, who used to run cattle in the Ramona area. "And the brush always comes back."

Following the October fires, Kit Wilson, an environmental consultant in Escondido who has mapped the region's plant communities, reported that 133,000 acres of chaparral burned in San Diego County. Wilson said a quarter of it also burned in the Cedar fire.

When chaparral burns twice in less than a decade, Halsey said, it is in danger of being wiped out. That's because the young plants haven't reached the point where they produce seeds.

Fueled by a winter of plentiful rain, some native plants that burned in the Witch Creek fire have reached the point where they are doing well again.

Anderson said willow and mule fat are reviving along the banks of the San Dieguito River.

And Halsey said native wildflowers are springing up in many places. For example, one can hardly miss the California poppies on the south-facing slopes along Del Dios Highway southwest of Escondido.

"It is a beautiful, inspiring landscape," Halsey said.

The vibrant blooms also are inspiring droves of Southern Californians to head to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in eastern San Diego County.

Boosted by near-normal rainfall, purple, yellow, red, white and blue blooms are poking through the sand in the park's northern sections, said Michael Rodriques, interpreter and visitor center manager.

"You're seeing a lot of dune evening primrose, sand verbena, brown eyed primrose, spectacle pod and desert lily," Rodriques said. "And we're just starting to see some desert sunflowers, although they haven't gotten really hot and heavy yet."

This year's burst of color comes on the heels of two straight duds; blooms were scarce in 2006 and 2007.

"We are having a pretty nice bloom," Rodriques said. "Now, will it be as pretty as '05? Probably not. We would call it a good year, not a great year."

-- Contact staff writer Dave Downey at (760) 745-6611, Ext. 2623, or ddowney@nctimes.com.

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31 comment(s)[-]Go to Top

BoB wrote on Mar 4, 2008 4:56 AM:Just saved a ton of money. Cancelled our trip to Ireland and instead we are planning to visit Lake Hodges.-

Ken wrote on Mar 4, 2008 5:37 AM:Yes enjoy the beautiful flowers since in a few months they will turn into dry brush waiting for the next burn—and still there is no fix for adequate fire protection!-

Like Ireland huh? wrote on Mar 4, 2008 7:05 AM:Before or after an IRA attack? -

C'mon! wrote on Mar 4, 2008 7:35 AM:At least the hills are green. Would you prefer brown?

Try and find something to be happy about people!...For Gods Sake! :)-

Nick wrote on Mar 4, 2008 7:58 AM:To Ken: No fix for adequate fire protection huh? Why do you say that? Our firefighters always to a great job, sorry you don't see it. You want a fix, how about we raze all the developments that have pushed into our once beautiful open spaces. You know, Cielo, Bing Crosby Estates & Santa Luz just to name a few. Funny, growing up here I wathced parts of North County burn every summer and the threats to homes and lives were minimal, now that we have an extra million or 2 people and dozens of new developments where they never should have bee built in the first place, people want to whine about fire protection.-

Ask wrote on Mar 4, 2008 8:03 AM:Folks here are never happy.

Always half empty.-

Concerned-1 wrote on Mar 4, 2008 8:30 AM:I'm confused. If the non-native grasses were brought here by European settlers, wouldn't they have already become part of the present ecosystem? And, environuts, if they are such a problem, what should we have done about them? And finally, gee has this ever happened before? Another vicious round of scare tactics. Thanks for all the positive thoughts in this time of great concern!-

Bill 1 wrote on Mar 4, 2008 8:43 AM:I love Southern California after a wet winter. The hills are green and the Poppies will soon be in bloom. -

Good story wrote on Mar 4, 2008 8:50 AM:Thanks for the education on plant names and the prose picture. I agree with ASK: folks here are never happy unless they are growling or whining about sometihng. Of course their lives are 'perfect' so they feel they can bash everyone else. Sorry, guess I'm bashing them; oops. Put some more water in your empty glasses - WATER!-

Esco resident wrote on Mar 4, 2008 8:56 AM:Local mountain bikers only. Pedestrians stay off the bike paths.-

Gee lets plant wrote on Mar 4, 2008 9:00 AM:Kudzu, then you can have green all of the time! We want to keep our people happy!:)

Heather wrote on Mar 4, 2008 10:08 AM:I think the green foliage is inspiring and a breath of fresh air after what we all went through back in October. Of course your always going to have your naysayers but sometimes they forget that they're privileged enough to call San Diego home.

CPM wrote on Mar 4, 2008 10:20 AM:You know i think it looks great, i think i will enjoy it!

JACGGER wrote on Mar 4, 2008 11:00 AM:I killed a deer last week with my bow at hodges while he was munching on some grass. Damn he tastes good. the grass is good for the deer.

mo wrote on Mar 4, 2008 11:03 AM:the deer are back
good eating

Run to the hills wrote on Mar 4, 2008 11:49 AM:What is it with scientist, everything is bad. They won't be happy till bad things happen to this planet. The hills are green so they say it's bad. Are these illegal plants on the hills?
I think it's natures way of recovering, I mean did somebody go up to these hills and plant foriegn plants? These scientist hate being wrong so they view everything in a negative light. I remember they said that it would take 5 years of hard rain to fill Lake Hodges, instead it will filled in a couple of months.

Son of Irish immagrants wrote on Mar 4, 2008 12:15 PM:... those immigrant non native plants but sure n begora they do look pretty this time of year. The world is changing & there`s nothing you can do about it so enjoy the beautiful flowers my Roses are already beginning to bloom Queen Elizabeth,Golden Showers. Mr Lincoln, Marlyn Monroe & St Patrick should be blooming in the next 2-3 weeks

Judy wrote on Mar 4, 2008 2:02 PM:I love you folks who can see through the insanity of the enviornmental propoganda. I'm sorry to say that you are a vanishing breed because the schools are busy teaching the kids about the end of the earth caused by us humans. It's scary.

Happy wrote on Mar 4, 2008 2:25 PM:Thank goodness we know that san diego is full of complainers...i love the green hills, its a breath a fresh air after all the sadness we went through in october...stop whinning people and try to be happy, its a much better way of life!!!

Illegal plants wrote on Mar 4, 2008 3:08 PM:Where the minute men when you need them. They should be protesting these green plants on the hills.

Duane wrote on Mar 4, 2008 3:25 PM:Yeah, where's all the "Build the Fence" people with all the illegal alien plants invading.

Kudzu wrote on Mar 4, 2008 4:24 PM:is a killer vine that was imported from Japan for erosion control, looks very pretty will it strangles trees and covers and destroys homes, but hey! Its GREEN!Oh and by the way it can't be killed. The roots grow to be the size of a man.

Don't go up the hill! wrote on Mar 4, 2008 4:30 PM:I went out to the hiking paths behind RB park for the first time since it reopened. Some brilliant scientists have the paths leading to the top of the hill cordoned off. Is that because there's more sensitive stuff up there? I've been up there and it's the same stuff as it is down below. The commenters are right; environmentalists are overreactive liberals. And yes, the WEEDS are beautiful.

Karl wrote on Mar 4, 2008 4:34 PM:"Illegal plants and Duane" show the mentality of the pro Illegal Immigration folks. |Let's not talk about the topic, let's redirect the topic and try to confuse people.

Bottom line is that illegal is as illegal does.

runner wrote on Mar 4, 2008 4:52 PM:san dieguito river park needs to open all the trails around hodges and to the east.

its ridiculous that you cant get up and over raptor ridge yet.

i ran from hodges over raptor ridge and passed the dairy and back the morning of the day the fires started. what a trip to watch raptor ridge burn only hours after running it.

Chris wrote on Mar 4, 2008 7:01 PM:I've never seen San Diego more beautiful.

Enviromentalist wrote on Mar 5, 2008 1:47 AM:Are these the same people that didn't want the tree's chopped down when Lake Hodges was a dry lakebed for fear that the trees might ruin a habitat. Only to lose the habitiat or trees due the rainstorm of 04 and 05? Who gives these people so much power? -

beati wrote on Mar 5, 2008 9:23 AM:They're native plants now...Get used to it. The earth changes, and we must adapt. The earth doesn't care about what humans consider the "good old times"!

Janet wrote on Mar 5, 2008 10:21 AM:The weeds do look beautiful. Yet, if your yard had weeds as high as your head, would you be saying, "Wow, those are cool!" or would you say "I'd better do something before they take over the whole yard." Weeds grow really fast when it rains and then dry out early, leaving lots of fuel. They burn faster and hotter. That means you have 1 hour to evacuate in a fire instead of 24 hours.

jay wrote on Mar 5, 2008 10:37 AM:Most trails are open but some are closed for good reasons. One is the people who don't feel rules are for them and have to bike, walk or turn their dogs loose off the trails, causing more damage to burned areas. Another is that work is still being done and it's harder to work when people are running all over. If you want them open sooner, how about volunteering to help? Today, they're beginning to remove the metal junk uncovered in the fires, and there will be plenty more for you to help with. Or does the park only belong to you when you want to use it, not when work needs to be done? And even though some of you have declared bull thistle, castor (a lethal plant), etc. as native, they still needs to be removed or they will entirely cover the park.

Enuff wrote on Mar 5, 2008 11:21 AM:Let's all grab a bottle of Round-Up
and destroy the beautiful surroundings.
Do you have something positive to do??

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