Wildfire experts have come across a seeming contradiction this summer: While the number of acres charred across the West is almost double the 10-year average, the blazes haven't been as big or devastating as those in past years.
Cooler temperatures helped firefighters bring most of Portugal's devastating wildfires under control Thursday, although seven small new blazes broke out in the afternoon, authorities said.
A firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service has been arrested and charged with arson for allegedly starting three fires in Los Padres National Forest that burned more than 800 acres and cost about $2.5 million to fight.
The United States needs to stop thinking of wildfire as a menace or a tool and start considering the overall health of the land instead, a wildfire expert told foresters and government officials Thursday.
