Even a cursory reading of both the documents that you present shows the following points. 1. While the number of fires have reduced, the total area consumed by

Even a cursory reading of both the documents that you present shows the following points. 1. While the number of fires have reduced, the total area consumed by fires is still rising. 2. The average area fired up is increasing at an alarming rate (Fig. 41.3, still upto 2000 only.) Refer the first document. Fig. I, the trend in forest fire area affected is increasing, from about 2 million acres in 1990 to about 10 million acres in 2020. Also, fig 41.2 is data from 1908 to 1988. Edit : Please see the 10 million acre figure in the first PDF. Think of the enormous costs related to containing the fire. The data is not in isolation. Fire-fighting techniques and costs have to be taken into account. https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2015-Fire-Budget-Report.pdf https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2015-Fire-Budget... This document from US govt explains how much they are spending fighting forest fires. Budget for wildfire management rose from 15% in 1995 to about 52% in 2015, with more increase projected upto 2025. Also, the cost of wildfires is enormous. https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/NFPA-Journal/2020/November-December-2020/Features/Wildfire https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-medi...