Wildfires are a natural part of forest ecology. The failure to recognize this is a large part of the problem. Some trees cannot even set seed unless they have been burned. Wildfires have been going on since long before Homo sapiens first came to the Americas 20,000+ years ago.

The "Wildfire Problem" is a result of human mismanagement.

Ignorant Idiots, a term that encompasses many citizens and nearly ALL politicians, have stupid beliefs including, among others, a Disneyesque conception of Nature. "Forests are beautiful", "Wildfires are Bad", "Natural is Good", "Forests are good places to live" are four of the typical tropes that idiots accept because they are propagated by the Mass Media and the morons who write their "content".

When in doubt, and one should nearly ALWAYS be in doubt, it is wise to remember that Thermodynamics is INVARIABLY TRUE no matter how much we dislike the consequences. Natural systems tend toward thermodynamic equilibrium and stability. Trees, brush, and other oxidizable materials are thermodynamically unstable in an oxygen-rich environment.

The result of this stupidity is the implementation of incompatible policies:
1. Prevent ALL forest fires.
2. Do not interfere in the natural environment by collecting and removing dry brush, leaves, etc.
3. Build expensive homes in "natural" forested areas.
4. Camp and hike in such areas, building campfires along the way.

As a result there is the unwise growth of home construction in the midst of massive accumulation of combustible conditions. Then people hike and camp in these areas and their campfires often get away from them. Even when humans don't start fires. lightning inevitably will. When seen in this way, it is obvious that massive wildfires are inevitable with concomitant destruction of valuable homes. To prevent massive wildfires, we must implement policies of removal of combustible materials (dry brush, dead trees, etc) or else forbid construction in uncleared areas. Otherwise, leave the forests alone to their natural wildfires and refrain from building in them.

However, idiots insist on leaving brush and dead trees undisturbed, while constructing new homes in such areas. This policy is doomed because it attempts to act contrary to Thermodynamics. It is ALWAYS futile to attempt to act contrary to Thermodynamics.

DFM