Feds’ Misguided Firefighting Efforts

In late June, with San Francisco covered with a blanket of smoke from forest fires, a reader asked me whether forest fires had been made worse by climate change. My answer was probably.

An article in today’s Los Angeles Times says yes but. Yes, but the real firestarter is the federal government—specifically its policy of putting out all fires. Natural cycles include burning, and thwarting those cycles leaves more fuel for the fires that will inevitably occur. As a result, fires have become twice as destructive.

Climate change has played a secondary role: Increased precipitation has promoted forest growth in the Sierras, and rising temperatures have made California’s fire season longer.

Takeaway: A revision of the Forest Service’s policy is needed, and would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by preserving trees, if not also by reducing smoke.

How can that be done in California, with so many communities sitting so close to forests?


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