[Genuine Realist]

GR, I agree with the assessment and will add one more, suburban sprawl.  Obviously, this doesn't cause the fires, but it does does magnify the impact of fires.  As the interface between people and the forrest increases, that puts more people at risk for the direct impact of the fires (the impact of smoke is another thing).  It also increases the risk of fires starting (more electrical equipment running through fires) and (this part is, I think theoretical) more pressure not to pursue some of the forrest management techniques like controlled burns; the last thing any forestry service needs would be property loss due to a deliberately set fire.

BC

There's no question that suburban sprawl is an issue, but the massive forest fires that have plagued Northern California in the past four years have all originated in heavily forested areas and have spread rapidly though the overdense forests there. Suburbs in deforested areas just don't have that much combustible fuel. I'm always struck by how few buildings are actually endangered in comparison with the massive acreage burnt.

I wrote in haste about the effect of forests on global warning. Sensible reforestation is one of the possible reactions to that trend. It is the emission of carbon in tree decay or massive fires - such as are occurring now - that is a contributing factor.

[Genuine Realist]

GR, I agree with the assessment and will add one more, suburban sprawl.  Obviously, this doesn't cause the fires, but it does does magnify the impact of fires.  As the interface between people and the forrest increases, that puts more people at risk for the direct impact of the fires (the impact of smoke is another thing).  It also increases the risk of fires starting (more electrical equipment running through fires) and (this part is, I think theoretical) more pressure not to pursue some of the forrest management techniques like controlled burns; the last thing any forestry service needs would be property loss due to a deliberately set fire.

BC

There's no question that suburban sprawl is an issue, but the massive forest fires that have plagued Northern California in the past four years have all originated in heavily forested areas and have spread rapidly though the overdense forests there. Suburbs in deforested areas just don't have that much combustible fuel. I'm always struck by how few buildings are actually endangered in comparison with the massive acreage burnt.

I wrote in haste about the effect of forests on global warning. Sensible reforestation is one of the possible reactions to that trend. It is the emission of carbon in tree decay or massive fires - such as are occurring now - that is a contributing factor.