Yale Environment 360: When the wildfire reached Jon Cummings backyard last summer, it had already traversed 50 miles of rugged terrain in Idahos Salmon-Challis National Forest. Thick smoke dimmed daylight and embers sailed on hot currents. While firefighters were able to preserve Cummings house and property, his neighbors up the river were less fortunate. No houses burned, but when those folks came home it was a total moonscape, he said.
Wildfires last summer burned more than 9 million acres across the U.S., predominantly...