In Oregon’s 2020 fires, highly managed forests burned the most

This record-breaking fire season has re-ignited discussions about causes of severe fires. One long-standing narrative is that fire suppression has resulted in ‘overgrown’ forests that fuel larger and more intense fires than occur under more intense management (the “fuels narrative”). This narrative, promoted by timber interests and the president, among others, is irrelevant within the context of Oregon's major western Cascades fires.