"The Future of Fighting Wildfires in the Era of Climate Change"

"Thinning and suppression aren't working, and fire scientists now say we need to let fires burn to help landscapes adapt to climate change - while controlling development in the red zone to limit damage."

"During the height of the Soberanes Fire last September in Central California, the United States Forest Service estimated it was costing about $8 million per day to fight the wildfire. By the time firefighters fully contained the blaze at 132,000 acres, it had become the most expensive wildfire in U.S. history, with a total cost of more than $206 million.

The Soberanes Fire wasn't even one of the 10 largest on record in California, but the high price tag is one of the signs that the U.S. is losing the battle against wildfires. Moreover, according to a new study based on research in Colorado and California, the Forest Service and other agencies simply won't be able to keep up with bigger and longer-lasting fires unless they adopt a new, forward-looking attitude and different strategies to prepare for wildfires in the era of global warming.

The researchers behind the new study, published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that, instead of trying to fight every fire or thin vast areas in futile prevention efforts, the Forest Service should focus on protecting communities and limiting new development in fire-prone areas, while letting some fires - even large - burn, which will help Western landscapes adapt to climate change in the decades ahead."

Bob Berwyn reports for Pacific Standard April 17, 2017.