In the United States, wildfires have become larger and more frequent, threatening lives and devastating local communities particularly in the American west. A century of wildland fire management policy, climate change, and land development patterns have created a perfect storm of a wildfire crisis. Professor Stephen R. Miller examines the factors proliferating wildfires and those complicating effective wildland fire management, including the regulatory structure and the patchwork of federal, state, local, and tribal agencies responsible for fire planning and response.