NPS fire managers weigh many factors—including risks to human life and infrastructure; the fire’s cause, location, and predicted direction of spread; recent and future weather conditions; and current deployment of firefighting resources nationally—to determine the response to any wildfire. For example, a lightning fire in the backcountry, where there is no threat to infrastructure and the fire can remove beetle-killed trees to help protect against future catastrophic fire, may be allowed to burn.
Last updated: June 15, 2023