(11-18-2018 01:11 PM)JustAnotherAustinOwlStill Wrote:  Stats!

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why...-5-charts/

Expanding on the last point they make, which is that increasing development in and near vulnerable forests makes the results of these fires more deadly, my understanding is that it also impedes fighting the fires. For example, if a fire is threatening point A and point B, but there is a town near point A that wasn't there a few years ago, fire fighters have to put more resources into keeping the fire from destroying the town, or at least hold it off so people can evacuate. Meanwhile the fire expands more than it would have at point B.

Similarly, perhaps a controlled burn that previously would have happened near the town was cancelled because of opposition, but has ironically made the town more vulnerable.

That's just my understanding from talking to a former co-worker whose dad was a firefighter for the forestry service.

Building in hazardous areas and then demanding public protection from the hazard? At least that doesn’t happen in Texas...