The surprising reason timber plantations explode into megafires

Industrial forests, packed with evenly spaced trees, face nearly 50% higher odds of megafires than public lands. A lidar-powered study of California’s Sierra Nevada reveals how dense plantations feed fire severity, but also shows that proactive thinning could prevent forests from collapsing into shrubland ecosystems.

source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250821004202.htm