Report
Wildfires
Our position
After a century of fire suppression, the American West has been saddled with forests with unnaturally high fuel loads that, when ignited, burn hotter and longer. To mitigate extreme wildfire risk, forests need to be managed, thinned, and burned. These interventions—mechanical thinning paired with prescribed burns—reduce the severity of fires, and can make them easier to contain. But, fuel reduction activities led by the U.S. Forest Service and other land management agencies are heavily bottlenecked by regulatory friction, litigation-induced project delays, funding dynamics, and incentive structures that prioritize reactive wildfire suppression over proactive mitigation. To truly protect wild lands, and the habitats and biodiversity they hold, while also protecting human life and property, we must actively manage our forests.
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Wildfires work
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Who to talk to
Emily Bass
Director, Federal Policy, Food and Agriculture Email
Latest: Two Permitting Bills Are Better Than One for America's Forests
Questions
What causes most wildfires?
Most wildfires in the United States are started by people, through unattended fires, equipment, vehicles, power lines, or arson; lightning causes many others. But ignition is only part of the story. Drought, heat, vegetation, forest conditions, and wind determine how intensely fires burn and spread.
Are wildfires getting worse?
In much of the western United States, wildfires have grown larger and more destructive in recent decades. Climate change is increasing hot, dry conditions that favor fire, while decades of fire suppression have left some forests with excess vegetation. Development in fire-prone areas also increases damage.
Should wildfires be left to burn?
Sometimes. Fire is a natural part of many ecosystems, and allowing some fires to burn can reduce accumulated vegetation and improve forest health. But fires threatening communities and infrastructure require suppression. Better forest management should combine managed wildfire, prescribed burns, vegetation removal, and protection for communities.
Is climate mitigation enough to stop wildfires?
The carbon released during catastrophic wildfire seasons can effectively erase the carbon reductions achieved through climate policies. Instead of relying exclusively on long-term global mitigation, active forest management is needed to mitigate catastrophic wildfires and avoid associated emissions.