THE CONSENSUS AMONG MANY EXPERTS IS THAT OUR CURRENT APPROACH TO WILDFIRE ISN'T WORKING AND HASN'T WORKED FOR THE LAST CENTURY. Once a natural phenomenon that generated an occasional headline, wildfire has rapidly become a global force that triggers debates over public health and safety, resource allocation, and the role of government in addressing the crisis. At top, President Trump inspects the destroyed town of Paradise, California, in 2018, flanked by then-Gov. Jerry Brown (right) and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. At right, protests in Australia earlier this year drew thousands of people critical of the government for its perceived ineffectiveness in dealing with catastrophic wildfires and its inaction in addressing the climate-change crisis. Facing page, a wildland firefighter on the job-a key resource in any discussion on reshaping our untenable relationship with wildfire. GETTY IMAGES 34 | NFPA JOURNAL * N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 Feature wildfire 11.20 DCS FINAL 10.30.20.indd 34 10/30/20 4:54 PM