How America’s Forest Fire Revolution Lost Its Spark
Half a century ago, there was a serious push for prescribed fires to benefit wilderness areas. Those efforts have waned.
By M.R. O’Connor
https://undark.org/2023/11/03/excerpt-forest-fire-revolution/
Book:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/ignition-m-r-o-connor/19628689
I've wondered about this. It was definitely considered the new standard when I was camping at Yosemite with my folks.
I had assumed it was still being done until recently, when discussions about big wildfires made it clear that most areas did not do prescribed burns.
It is extremely local, not an agreed on national policy. All the forest service workers I know, firmly believe in it. And advocate for “good fire”.
The devil is in the details, and is dependent on a complex set of environmental factors.
@corlin @tyghebright
Much of the earliest work and initial burns were conducted in northern Arizona led by Northern Arizona University and the Forest Service. We recognized our urban wildland interface was a particular danger a long time ago in the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world.