Proper forest management, including controlled burns, have always been difficult due to the politically powerful ignorant. Because controlled burns experienced

Proper forest management, including controlled burns, have always been difficult due to the politically powerful ignorant. Because controlled burns experienced increasing friction, policy evolved to a "let-burn" policy for naturally-started fires (brush gets cleared without anyone having to take responsibility). Problem is, if an area is unnaturally overgrown, fire can have disproportionate severity and become impossible to constrain.