A couple quotes:
Hmm. Recovery overlaps with isolated pockets still smoldering. fascinating, isn't it?Even with embers still smoking, parts of the Gorge have gone from ashen black to verdant green in less than a year. It's a sign, fire experts say, that fire is a natural phenomenon, and that the Gorge as we know it will be back again.
Wow! It's not unheard of for that to be hinted at, but in a high-profile fire like this, people are usually a little more balanced and discreet. I appreciate her candor. (She did also acknowledge the hardships caused by the fire, but that's a token remark. After all, she's a scientist, not a diplomat.)speaking strictly from an ecological standpoint, the fire was beneficial for the forest, Ellsworth [an OSU fire ecologist] said.
"We've had a fire deficit in this area for many decades," she said. Forests need for that underbrush to be periodically cleared out and many species, like cavity-nesting birds, need dead trees in which to make their homes. "Ecologically, this was a really good fire."
Incidentally, I can't help noticing that an Oxford comma is desperately needed here:
In fact, maybe semicolons could be employed: Businesses were shuttered for months; hundreds had to evacuate their homes; and trails in the area, which hold a special place in many people's hearts, have yet to recover.Businesses were shuttered for months, hundreds had to evacuate their homes and trails in the area, which hold a special place in many people's hearts, have yet to recover.
source: https://www.oregonlive.com/expo/news/er ... t_breaking