If you pay much attention to the details of wildland firefighting, you see references to "structural protection crews." These are the firefighters trained to protect buildings in and near the forest, a different skillset to building lines around wildfires.
The skills are needed because of people living in homes near and among the trees. As fires grow bigger and more destructive, more people question the practice of living in fire-prone country.
Jeffrey Kline researches this and other issues at the Pacific Northwest Research Station in Corvallis. He joins us for a perusal of the issues.