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Re:Years of fighting every wildfire helped fuel the Western ... by bullfightonmars on Thursday August 05, 2021 @09:53PM (#28082420)
This is exactly it. Pop culture does not set policy.

The current forestry management regieme around preventing forest fires was put in place to protect forests as an agricultural asset and resource for the timber industry.

That practice has morphed into a protection of real estate as people have built their homes in the wildfire zone over the past 40 years.

Prior to colonozation by Europeans in the Pacific Northwest, native americans regularly burned forests regularly. That practice stopped once their populations were decimated by disease and subjugation.

Re:Years of fighting every wildfire helped fuel the Western ... by spfzero on Friday August 06, 2021 @12:08AM (#28083233)
It did not require native Americans, lighting could do it just fine.

What was the thinking of these native Americans you speak of? Were they thinking "we should start wildfires because it will be better for the forest over a period of centuries"? Because...?

I agree that the practice of trying to stop these fires results in larger fires later. What I'd like is more information on why native Americans were able to realize and act on this. I'm willing to believe it, but not without some explanation.

Re:Years of fighting every wildfire helped fuel the Western ... by shawabawa3 on Friday August 06, 2021 @04:03AM (#28084431)