BRANDON
BRANDON RITTIMAN TAKES A CLOSER LOOKED AT D4 STATION. -- DEFORESTATION.
>> YOU GOT TO BE ABLE TO HUG A
TREE BUT YOU'VE ALSO GOT TO BE
ABLE TO CUT IT DOWN.
THESE CREWS CUT OUT THOUSANDS
OF TREES OVER THE PAST SEVEN
YEARS ALONG THE SIERRA HIGHWAY
LEADING TO THE KIRKWOOD SKI
RESORT.
IT MAY SEEM LIKE A PARADOX BUT
THE GOAL OF ALL OF THIS
DESTRUCTION IS TO SAVE THE
FOREST.
THIS IS THE KIND OF LANDSCAPE
THAT IS CREATING THESE SEVERE
FIRES WE ARE SEEING IN
CALIFORNIA.
>> Reporter: HUGH STAFFORD IS
THE FIRE ECOLOGIST FOR
CALIFORNIA.
HE SAYS THE SCIENCE IS CLEAR.
CALIFORNIA'S PROBLEM IS NOT TOO
MUCH FIRE, IT IS TWO LITTLE
FIRE.
THE TREES THAT HISTORICALLY
DOMINATED WERE BIG PINES.
THEY RELIED ON WILDFIRES TO
BURN OUT SMALLER TREES ON THE
FOREST FLOOR BELOW.
PEOPLE PUT A STOP TO ALL OF
THAT.
>> THREE QUARTERS OF THIS KIND
OF FOREST HAS NOT HAD A SINGLE
FIRE IN 100 YEARS.
>> Reporter: TENS OF MILLIONS
OF ACRES SHOULD HAVE NATURALLY
OF BURNED EVERY 10 YEARS OR SO
IN LOTS OF FIRES WITH SMALLER
CLAIMS BUT WE PUT MOST OF THOSE
OUT.
NOW, 10 CYCLES OVERDUE, OUR
FORESTS ARE LOADED WITH 10
TIMES THE FUEL SITTING UNDER
THE BIG TREES.
THE RECENT MAGNIFIERS GIVE US A
TASTE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
WHEN IT BURNS AND SCIENTISTS
THINK WE ARE IN FOR MORE.
>> CALIFORNIA IS THE PYRO STATE.
WE GET A 3 TO 6 MONTH DROUGHT
EVERY YEAR IN CALIFORNIA.
THE WAY THAT FIRES ARE
HAPPENING NOW WITH WARMING
CLIMATES IS WE CAN'T STOP THEM
IN LANDSCAPES LIKE THIS.
>> Reporter: THE FIRES BURN
BIGGER AND HOTTER, DESTROYING
MORE HOMES AND TAKING MORE
LIVES.
>> ALL OF THAT IS THE NEW
NORMAL THAT WE HAVE TO FACE.
>> Reporter: GOVERNOR JERRY
BROWN'S NEW NORMAL RHETORIC WAS
EFFECTIVE AT GETTING ATTENTION.
SCIENTISTS SAY FIRES ARE PRIMED
TO GET WORSE AS OUR CLIMATE
CHANGES, LEADING TO DRIER AND
HOTTER CONDITIONS.
CALIFORNIA STATE GOVERNMENT
MAINTAINS A SPECIAL FACILITY
DEDICATED TO PROCESSING HOT
AIR.
IT IS IN SACRAMENTO.
>> MAYBE WE WILL HAVE A NEW
NORMAL IN THE LEGISLATURE.
>> THE SCIENCE IS THERE.
NOW WE HAVE TO GO OUT TO THE
GROUND AND PUT IT TO WORK.
>> Reporter: CAL FIRE SAYS THAT
THE STATE NEEDS TO DO A MIX OF
FOREST THINNING AND CONTROL
BURNS.
HE HAD BACKUP.
UC BERKELEY SCIENCE PROFESSOR
UC BERKELEY -- PROFESSOR SAYS
WE NEED TO BURN A LOT MORE.
>> WE NEED TO DO 5 TO 10 TIMES
MORE PER YEAR TO GET A HANDLE
ON THIS.
>> CAN'T WE DO SOMETHING TO
SHAPE THE NEW NORMAL?
WE CAN.
WE CAN DO PRESCRIBED BURNS.
WE CAN DO FOREST THINNING.
>> IS THERE AN ELEMENT IN
GIVING UP OR IS THAT AN ALARM
THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE SOME
STUFF.
>> WE CAN'T GIVE UP.
IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME.
>> Reporter: THE EXPERTS WILL
TELL YOU THE BIGGEST BARRIER IS
NOT MONEY, IT IS WINNING HEARTS
AND MINDS IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY
MINDED STATE.
THEY ARE TRYING TO SPREAD THE
WORD THAT EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS
LIKE KILLING THE FOREST, THE
SCIENCE SHOWS CUTTING AND
CONTROLLED BURNING CAN HELP
SAVE IT.
>> I AM AN ENVIRONMENTALIST BUT
AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO
GET AWAY FROM THE TREE HUGGING
MENTALITY.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE
THING.
>> Reporter: CALIFORNIA'S
FOREST USED TO SURVIVE NATURAL
FIRES BUT NOT TODAY'S MEGA
FIRES.
THE SEEDS CAN'T SURVIVE THE
HEAT CREATED BY THE SMALL TREES
BURNING BELOW.
THAT IS WHY FIRE SCIENTISTS ARE
THINKING BIGGER LIKE THINNING
ENTIRE FORESTS, NOT JUST
TARGETED AREAS LIKE THIS ONE
NEAR PEOPLE.
>> YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT HAVING
FORESTS IN THE FUTURE.
>> Reporter: SOME STATE LEADERS
WANT TO TREAT .5 MILLION ACRES
PER YEAR.
THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF CALIFORNIA
FORESTS THAT USED TO BURN ON
ITS OWN.
TO GET THERE WILL TAKE NEW WAYS
OF THINKING FROM PEOPLE ON ALL