(MADISON) Wildfires account for a lot of property damage every year in the U.S., and forestry officials are constantly assessing how to predict when and where they will occur. A UW-Madison researcher says one largely overlooked predictor is the human factor.
Generally, vegetation and terrain are examined to figure out fire-prone areas. But Alexandra Syphard, a post-doctoral fellow for UW-Madison�s Department of Forest Ecology and Management, says most blazes happen along developments or roads, where forestland borders urban areas.