Study: Wildfire ‘suppression bias’ can lead to more intense, destructive blazes

Boise State Public Radio News | By Murphy Woodhouse

Published March 29, 2024 at 5:32 PM MDT

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The Four Corners wildfire is burning west of Lake Cascade in Central Idaho.

A new paper finds that current wildfire suppression policies can increase fire severity as much as decades of fuel accumulation and climate change. Using fire models, the area burned annually grew much faster under current suppression policy when compared to a policy of allowing low- and moderate-intensity blazes to burn.

A new paper finds that current wildfire suppression policies can increase fire severity as much as decades of fuel accumulation and climate change. Using fire models, the area burned annually grew much faster under current suppression policy when compared to a policy of allowing low- and moderate-intensity blazes to burn.