Why California and the West Coast Keep Burning: A Wildfire Expert Explains

Wildfire seasons are no longer seasonal; they’re year-round. In this episode of the National Land Podcast, host Mac Christian is joined by wildfire operations expert Terry Severson to dissect the catastrophic wildfire crisis gripping the West Coast. From California’s explosive wildfires to Oregon’s yearly burn cycles, they expose the uncomfortable truths behind fire mismanagement, fire exclusion policies, and why prescribed burns are both a solution and a risk.

Severson, a veteran of federal fire management and international fire strategy, breaks down:

• Why California wildfires keep getting worse

• How 100+ years of fire suppression led to today's megafires

• Why fire crews are underfunded and under fire, literally

• The role of climate change in fire seasons that never end

• How public resistance to smoke and land ordinances is fueling the problem

• The terrifying reality of crown fires and fire-generated weather systems

• Why invasive species like cheatgrass are making wildfires unmanageable

This is essential listening for anyone living in wildfire zones, looking for land for sale in California or Oregon, or trying to understand the truth about wildland fire science and policy.

 

National Interagency Fire Center

https://www.nifc.gov/

 

Track wildfires near you

https://app.watchduty.org

 

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