After so many smoke-filled summers and record-setting burns, residents of western North America are no strangers to wildfires. Still, many questions are circulating about why forest fires are becoming larger and more severe — and what can be done about it. Is climate change fuelling these fires? Does the long history of fighting every fire

Comment: How years of fighting every wildfire helped fuel the western mega-fires of today
More people in historical fire zones, plus built-up fuel that might otherwise be cleared by minor fires, help set the stage for more serious blazes