California and the Forest Service have a plan to prevent future catastrophic fires
A road during the Jones Fire (Marcus Kauffman/)As hundreds of fires scorch California, state officials and federal forest agents signed an agreement that may help the state be able to better weather future fire seasons.Right now, the second and third largest fires in the state’s history are ripping through coastal forests and inland shrubland in Northern California. The flames have claimed more than 1,100 homes and other buildings, along with 1.4 million acres of land. Climate change is culpable here. While fire is a normal and necessary part of much of California’s forest and rangelands, the region’s trend toward heightened wet and dry extremes, coupled with overall warmer conditions, make the state especially primed for high-intensity burns. But the way forests have been managed for the past 100 years hasn’t helped the situation. Prior to the Gold Rush, fires were a part of the landscape—ignited by both lightning strikes and Native Americans....