Very interesting article about fuel reduction in the west, and the need for more prescribed burning. One of the more interesting parts of this article is near the bottom: a graph showing mechanical treatments vs prescribed fire, and the occurrence of wildfires and the amount of undisturbed historically burned land. Interestingly, significantly more burning is done in the Southeastern US than in any other region! My guess is it has to do with their burn season being almost unlimited (since they can burn straight through the winter). If the rest of the southern US shares that climate, why isn't the southwest burning through the winter too? Perhaps something to look in to!
http://www.kuow.org/post/we-spend-millions-west-fuels-treatments-we-know-arent-effective
