The western United States has experienced a series of catastrophic fires in recent years, yet much of the prevention work needed to reduce the risk is on hold during the shutdown. Firefighter hiring and training is frozen, as are contracts for equipment and aircraft. The U.S. Forest Service has suspended controlled burns of dead timber and dry brush, steps that are designed to reduce the fuel and intensity of future wildfires. This is all essential work that can be done only during the increasingly short off-season, and stopping those efforts leaves both firefighting agencies and wildland communities less prepared.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 11, 2019 11:03 UTC