| previous work... |
FIRESTORM... Fire and the Dying Forest |
| After years of both fighting and studying forest fires Eric Mason came to a sobering conclusion about the daily battles of summer. Many of them were actually harmful to the ecosystem and the way the forest took care of itself. Eric began traveling the West with camera and crew in tow and seeing first hand the devastation from catastrophic wildfires. He also documented the devastation from pests in areas not routinely cleansed by fire. Smokey the Bear was literally killing the forest. Years of fire exclusion had brought in large-scale pest devastation. Millions of acres of trees were left dead and dying. Still other forests had simply too many trees growing on every acre. They were ripe for a firestorm. There are wonderful characters weaved through the program--a smokejumper who realizes that his work may hinder the natural cycle of the wilderness, and land managers frustrated by red-tape. Firestorm--Fire and the Dying Forest was reversioned for the Learning Channel and aired in the 1997-1998 seasons. It was nominated for an Emmy Award along with many others. The lessons from Firestorm? The biggest pest in the forest is Man. DVD's of Firestorm are available on request. |
