The U.S. Forest Service lets some blazes burn. California officials say that practices should be updated as blazes explode, partly because of climate change.
A firefighter sprays water while trying to stop the Sugar fire from spreading to neighboring homes in Doyle, Calif., on July 10.
Kathy Catron, right, volunteer fire chief of Doyle, talks to a fellow resident of this Lassen County town after the Sugar fire blew through, destroying several buildings. California leaders, though, say this mindset is outdated and minimizes the risks of fires mushrooming, especially in forests and grasslands transformed by climate change.
The Tamarack fire burns along a road near Markleeville, Calif. The fire started small, then blew up, prompting criticism of a U.S. Forest Service decision to let it burn. He contends that the fires themselves are not burning more acres than in past drought cycles, but are simply more dangerous to humans. He points out that historically, about 70% of fires extinguish naturally — just as around 2% become uncontrolled. Those numbers, he said, have remained remarkably stable despite greater fire suppression efforts.
Officials said that the rugged, remote terrain presented safety concerns when it came to sending in firefighters, and that the fire posed no threat to the public. So they chose to monitor it rather than insert crews. The Forest Service declined to discuss specifics beyond what has been released via social media but said that in general, such decisions are made as a team. Forest Service communications officials declined multiple interview requests, referring questions to email. Multiple questions on policy referred to the national offices of the Forest Service were not answered.
In 2020, Congress allocated more than $6 billion for wildfires across agencies, with more than half of that tagged for fire suppression, and the Biden administration has plans for expanding hiring and increased pay for federal firefighters. "We shouldn't have to prioritize," said Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, speaking as he toured destruction from the Tamarack fire with Newsom. "We should have enough resources where we can attack all these simultaneously."
"They are masters at, I think the correct term is, gaslighting," Egan told U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa at a meeting days after the Sugar fire hit Doyle. "They are terrible neighbors for us."
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