| quote | ... fire suppression has had no demonstrable effect on fuels, fire size, or fire severity in the extensive chaparral systems of the southern California foothills, where most of the damaging wildfires occur. ... The largest of these fires and most losses were in the chaparral dominated foothills, but some smaller fires in the montane coniferous forests did considerable damage to local communities as well. ... The largest of these fires burn through chaparral fuels under conditions that defy efforts at control. Increasing housing density in the southern California foothills is escalating the complexity and danger of fire control efforts under these challenging conditions. |