A wildfire in southwestern Massachusetts grew to 1,000 acres this week, the second fire in the region to reach that size this month. As droughts and heat intensify, the risk of wildfires like these becoming catastrophic is growing across the United States. But after generations of suppressing fire, many millions of acres of brush and tree fuels have built up, increasing the risk of large, dangerous wildfires. Prescribed-burn associations — neighbors helping neighbors burn — are addressing some of these issues by pooling community members’ resources, experience and time. In an era of greater wildfire risk driven by fuel accumulation and global warming, governments should be swiftly removing barriers to the use of prescribed fires on private land.

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Organizations: United States Forest Service Locations: New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, United States, Texas, California, North Carolina, National