Wildfire is often framed as an unequivocal disaster — something to be suppressed at all costs — yet fire has long been a fundamental ecological process in many western U.S. forests. Our recently updated preprint quantifies the extent of “good wildfire,” showing that between 2010 and 2020, millions of hectares burned at low-to-moderate severity in ways that align with historical fire regimes and provide ecological benefits, far exceeding the area treated with prescribed burns over the same period. That message is resonating beyond academia: The New Yorker highlighted how contemporary fire management — including decisions to manage rather than immediately suppress wildfires — reflects decades of scientific insight, even as high-profile fires continue to shape national conversations about risk, resilience, and fire policy.

Check out the preprint and The New Yorker article below!