Gregory Thomas
In the days before the fire hit, Rice and Paul Beran, Sierra’s mountain manager, aided by a private structure-defense crew, worked to armor the resort from the fire, going so far as to aim its snow-making water hydrants at chairlift terminals and lodge buildings when they evacuated.
When he returned to the resort after the flame front had passed, Rice thought the damage might be minimal. The lift terminals and towers were still standing, with chairs dangling from their cables. The base buildings were unscathed, having been doused in flame-retardant gel. Most of the trees remained upright.
But expert assessments have revealed significant damages to ski infrastructure and deep trauma to the landscape that will almost certainly change the character of Sierra’s runs and the experience of skiing there. For an industry built into increasingly fire-prone forestlands, Sierra serves as a frightening case study in surviving a threat that seems to grow each year.
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