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John's avatar

Your post is timely, and for the space and time available, quite accurate. The only things I'd add, having lived and fought fires here since 1980 are that a) the mis-management of the forest and brushlands of the west, coupled with b) a dramatic increase in human caused ignitions, complicated with c) exponential growth at the wildland urban interface, and d) further complicated by a significantly risk adverse mindset by fire leadership, why western fires are increasing in size.

It is a complicated picture to be sure. Improving any one of the factors would reduce the acres burned, but one in particular, appropriate forest fuels management would make a significant positive impact.

Not one of the fire agencies wants to do the work, because !FiReS EVeRywHerE!!! panic sells, drives budgets higher and higher and brings faux respect. Cutting brush, thinning overgrown unhealthy forests, harvesting timber, grazing livestock, building fuel breaks around communities, isn't sexy, it's hard dirty work.

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Evans W's avatar

This weeks hysterics by the media would be hilarious if it wasn’t so pathetic. It would take about a minute and a half to fill a 3 ring binder with the “we’re in the final days!!!!” screams by the corporate media, political talking heads & virtue signaling actors & influencers over the past 7 years. They’ve taken the boy that cried wolf and turned it up to 11. What a shitshow.....

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