Here is a US Forest Service expert from Oregon talking about why forest fires have become bad. The summary is that we have forests that are younger, denser, trees with inadequate forest management. We need more effort in clearing dead dry fuel, managing pests (that cause more dead dry fuel), limiting forest density, and introducing breaks between wide swaths of forest.

https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_hessburg_why_wildfires_have_g...