Forest Fire: Help or Harm?

It is six o'clock at night when a forest ranger gets a call informing him or her that a fire has broken out in the forest. Should the ranger call the fire department to come extinguish the fire immediately, or should the ranger allow the fire to burn itself out? This question has been the topic of conversation for many years. However, during the years of 2001 and 2003, this question had become much more publicized due to the catastrophic fires that broke out across the United States. The answer to this question has been debated many times. Should nature be allowed to take its course?…