A new way to fight forest fires in Oregon

(July 24, 2018) The U.S. Forest Service has told us to let more forest fires burn. However, we have not listened. Instead, the U.S. government spent $2.9 billion fighting forest fires last year. This year, we will spend more.

Some say it doesn’t have to be that way. They argue that we should let small fires burn. Those fires are not near homes, cities, or national parks. In fact, small fires often help forests grow. Small fires can stop large fires.

Chris Dunn teaches at Oregon State University. He has studied fires in southern Oregon for many years. He wants the government to make better choices. He knows that fires have cost a lot of money.

Fires have gotten worse, he says. Oregon has had 15 large fires over the past 20 years. The cost for the past 10 years has been nearly $17 billion. There are many reasons. Summers have become hotter and drier. The fire season has become longer. More people have built homes in the forests.

We can't always fight the fires, says Vicki Christiansen of the U.S. Forest Service. She says sometimes we have to learn to live with fire. Most fires burn out before they grow too large.