I was under the impression that it was part of a regular fire safety program in all public schools (mentioned once at the very least) -- they're known as contro

I was under the impression that it was part of a regular fire safety program in all public schools (mentioned once at the very least) -- they're known as controlled burns[1]. Prescribed burning[2] has been present in forest fire management for centuries across the world, a practice which was largely discontinued in the US (and recently re-introduced). NIMBY folks don't care for it because of the risk of outbreak (of which is minimal as those doing it are knowledgeable and it is done in a generally controlled environment) and the fact that it is unsightly and that minor smoke inhalation is unpleasant. It's not a matter of letting small fires burn but rather continuing the time-honored tradition of proper forestry management. As mentioned, the US Forest Service discontinued this practice after enacting a policy of suppressing all fires. I'm not even going to get into the issue of civilization encroaching upon nature and the risk surrounding it. Wildfires that consume large percentages of a given state (well above 20% in some cases) are far less forgiving than coyotes and brown bears. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_burn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_burn [2] http://bcwildfire.ca/prevention/PrescribedFire/ http://bcwildfire.ca/prevention/PrescribedFire/