Wildfire season is approaching fast.
Poor air quality that limits athletic activity, the devastation of the places where we play, the release of climate change-causing carbons into our atmosphere, the economic impact on rural communities… these terrifying consequences are just some of the negative effects of forest fires.
Unfortunately, wildfires are only just increasing in severity, size and duration. The average wildfire is now five times as severe as it would have been in the 1970s. Just about 20 years ago, the United States Forest Service, which is one of the primary agencies bearing the financial burden of fighting these fires, used only 16 percent of its annual budget dealing with wildfire. 2015 was the first summer where over half the USFS annual funds for all of its programs, which cover prevention as well as suppression efforts, were needed to combat the extreme fire season.
The price to fight these fires is steep and is expected to increase to nearly $1.8 billion by 2025. Each year, the USFS and the BLM have to devote more and more resources to fighting fires. This means other important work, including the restoration and prevention programs that reduce the threat of wildfire, gets pushed to the wayside.
How can you protect the forests, and yourself?
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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