"In 2025, the Forest Service reduced vegetation on almost 1.5 million fewer acres than in 2024, marking a significant drop from the more than 4 million acres of hazardous vegetation work done in the last year of the Biden administration."
"The biggest decline was in prescribed burns, with the Forest Service burning only about half of the acreage that it did in both 2024 and 2023, according to an NPR analysis of agency records."
"As conditions have gotten hotter, the build up of dense vegetation has fed extreme fires that have torn through vast stretches of land and increasingly, into communities."
Wildfires are already burning across the U.S., prompting concerns for an extreme fire season. The U.S. Forest Service has significantly reduced its vegetation management efforts, treating 1.5 million fewer acres in 2025 compared to 2024. Prescribed burns, crucial for reducing wildfire intensity, were also cut by half. Historical practices of controlled burns have diminished, leading to dense undergrowth that fuels extreme fires. Staffing shortages and unfavorable conditions have hindered prevention efforts, exacerbating the fire risk as climate conditions worsen.
Read at www.npr.org
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