Will we heed the smoke signals or let it burn?

“The choices we make today will determine how much temperatures increase this century, how long and damaging wildfire seasons become, and how prepared communities are for the growing risks of wildfires.”

That was the warning the Union of Concerned Scientists gave in 2013, when they reported temperatures in the Western United States were “increasing much faster” — about twice as fast — as the planet as a whole, said “climate change is driving up temperatures and increasing wildfire risk,” and predicted wildfires would continue to burn more land in Western U.S. states as warmer temperatures and less rainfall turned once majestic trees into tinder.