Understanding the Historical Relationship with Wildfire and the Need for Prescribed Burns

This chapter explores the historical relationship between indigenous people and wildfire, the impact of fire suppression on forests, and the need for more prescribed burns to prevent large fires. It discusses how indigenous people managed forests with fire for thousands of years before settlers arrived, resulting in low-intensity and regular burning, but the century of fire suppression severed this relationship and caused fuel buildup in forests. The chapter also highlights the concept of a fire deficit and the challenges faced by land managers in implementing more prescribed burns.