"controlled burns" would be difficult, Sky. California isn't flat. It filled with canyons and that terrain makes controlled burns difficult.

As more people move in, developers are moving out and fire equipment & personnel can't keep up. Developers build in canyons (view is selling point) which are like large funnels in fires.

The vegetation on the hills is mainly chaparrel (large bushes sort of) with roots going everywhere. A tiny drop of water and it grows like the weeds in my yard. Drys out just as fast too. Perfect fuel for a fire.

Climate - DRY not desert but working on it. Low, low humidity like 5%. Less than 10" of rain a year. Prone to Santa ana winds (winds blowing from AZ deserts out of east as high as 75-80 mph - hot and dry)

Houses built in mother natures funnels surrounded by vegetation that grows like weeds and drys out just as fast. Add high, hot, dry winds that last about three days and one spark...............(as from a down powerline due to high winds)

Now that you are throughly edumacated by a frog of little brain aren't you soooooo happy.

I just hate that so many people are losing everything. Thankfully there has been little loss of life.