Study says roads bring more fires to forests; USDA wants more roads to fight fires

A new study in Fire Ecology found wildfires are four times more likely to ignite near roads in national forests, contradicting the Trump administration's justification for rescinding roadbuilding limits on public lands. Fire scientists and firefighters argue roads multiply wildfire risk rather than reduce it, and critics see the USDA's push for more roads as a cover for timber industry interests.