Photo of the Saddle Mountain area. Fire needs oxygen, heat, and fuel to burn. Remove any one and the fire goes out. Here fire fighters are using water and foam to rob the fire of heat. Foam slows evaporation of water and covers more surface area using the same amount of water, essentially increasing the effectiveness of water.
Hand tools allow the fire fighter to mix in dirt, cutting off oxygen to the fire.
Fire is not a frequent visitor to the cooler, more moist mixed conifer forests of the North Rim. The intervals between fire may be very long, creating tremendous fuel loads. The mixed conifer forests appear to have burned within their normal range of variation. Aspen is going to come back in this area after a long absence. Although aspen still exists in patches today, it is a fire dependent species.