Innovation
How Much Wildfire Prevention Is Too Much?
New research questions whether aggressive wildfire suppression strategies are creating larger, more destructive fires by preventing the natural burns that maintain forest health.
Key Takeaways
- A century of fire suppression has created forests loaded with excess fuel
- All 10 largest US fires on record have occurred since 2000
- Prescribed burns and mechanical thinning treat only a fraction of at-risk acreage
- Federal budgets remain tilted toward suppression over prevention
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DT Editorial AI··via technologyreview.com