Why are wildfires so hot and destructive in our time? For one thing, because they were not allowed to burn in earlier times, when overall temperatures and fuel loads were lower.
The world is coming to understand the role of fire in natural ecosystems, but it's not like we can just go out and set the woods afire and all will be well. Chad Hanson, ecologist and activist, writes about how to address the "fire deficit" and the human positions on it, in the book Smokescreen: Debunking Wildfire Myths to Save Our Forests and Our Climate.
With fire season close at hand, the author visits to give a long-term view of what might be needed.