Eyewitness This: Fighting wildfires with fires underused practice in Western states, study says

The practice of setting controlled fires to lessen the impact of wildfires is not used in the West as much as officials say they would like.

A new study published in the "Fire" journal found prescribed fires on federal lands in the region have stayed level, or even dropped, despite calls for more. Supporters say the burns make forests healthier by clearing undergrowth and helping to stop or slow future fires by removing brush. Bureaucratic barriers and unfavorable weather can hamper those goals.

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