In 2012, 2007 and 2008 more than 9 million acres were burned, and the half dozen worst fire years since 1960 have taken place since 2000. As forests become hotter and drier, and milder winters lead to an increase in infestations, such as the pine bark beetle, leaving big acre rages tinder dry, a recent report authored by U.S. Forest Service scientists predicts that the acreage burned by wildfires will double by 2050 to about 20 million acres annually

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