This paper addresses the increasing challenge of forest fires under projected climate change and argues against the simplistic view of all fires as destructive. It emphasizes that ecological context is crucial as different forest ecosystems have evolved with distinct fire regimes, characterized by frequency and severity. The authors contend that solely focusing on fire suppression is unsustainable and propose adaptive management strategies tailored to different historical fire regimes, including restoring resilient forest structures in frequently burned areas and anticipating vegetation changes in less frequently burned ones. The paper calls for a shift in policy and management to acknowledge the diverse role of fire and prepare for larger, more frequent events to sustain forest landscapes.
