"Why not talk about more concrete reasons that controlled burns are good without appealing to it being opposite of racists? "

This article is weird because forest management became an extremely partisan issue recently. Do you remember the whole "rake the forests" thing?

Specifically, no of course we don't rake the forests. But generally, yes, accumulated fuel and forest management is at fault. Great pains are taken to redefine policies in progressive terms to avoid the appearance of agreeing with one's political opponents.

Both sides do this btw.