Many (most?) people don't realize past burns are necessary to prevent spread of forest fires.
After years of Forestry practices of stopping all forest fires, large swaths of timber became tinder boxes, leading to enormous forest fires.
When fires are allowed to burn (with the exception of populated areas), a patchwork of new/old timberlands forms, and fires within old forests don't spread across new (recently burned) lands.
Also, burned forest lands are an ecosystem unto themselves, providing more diversity of plants and animals.
GraniteMtn t1_iub5irk wrote
Many (most?) people don't realize past burns are necessary to prevent spread of forest fires.
After years of Forestry practices of stopping all forest fires, large swaths of timber became tinder boxes, leading to enormous forest fires.
When fires are allowed to burn (with the exception of populated areas), a patchwork of new/old timberlands forms, and fires within old forests don't spread across new (recently burned) lands.
Also, burned forest lands are an ecosystem unto themselves, providing more diversity of plants and animals.