Why does wildfire pose such a problem today? Forest fires have existed since there were woodlands with enough fuel in them to carry fire. Before humans were on the scene, lightning-caused fires burned these fuels and maintained a natural, dynamic balance of fuels and plant life. Later, Native Americans used fire as a tool that shaped forests to suit their needs for game and crops. When the European immigrants came, they considered wildfire a destructive force that needed to be suppressed. That policy of suppression continues today. And, of course, we apply it with a much greater level of sophistication …