Planned forest fires have wider benefits than previously thought

Setting intentional forest fires and letting other low-severity ones burn can significantly lower the chances of extreme blazes torching those same areas in the future, according to a new study released Thursday, while reducing toxic smoke over time.

Those controlled blazes, known as prescribed burns, can offer fire protection for more than a decade, the researchers found in a paper published in the journal Science. The findings are the latest in a robust body of research showing how managed fires can reduce the chances of megafires.