How to Better Fight Forest Fires
August 18, 2022
Spurred by fires threating ancient groves of sequoias in the Sierra Nevada, debate is flaring on the value of using controlled burns to reduce fire dangers in the nation’s forests. In Issues, Jerry F. Franklin and James K. Agee describe a variety of factors, such as forest type and natural fire patterns, that should be considered in deciding when, where, and how controlled burns are appropriate. More broadly, they argue, the nation needs a national fire policy that is based on science and covers every aspect of fire control: managing fuels within forests and landscapes; fire suppression; and, ultimately, salvage and restoration treatments after wildfire.