A complete map of every Santa Barbara fire since World War II showed that, despite both arsonists trying to ignite fires and firefighters trying to prevent them, the entire chaparral hillside burned once during exactly the 40-to-60-year natural cycle—implying that chaparral will burn when it is ready and cannot be made to burn before then.

factualpending

Speaker

Daniel Botkin

Evidence Quote

in spite of arsonists trying to light fires and in spite of fire and trying to keep fires from happening the entire house side... had burned once... in exactly the time period that it would naturally so and this stuff is ready to burn it's going to burn and if it isn't ready to burn you can't make it burn

Source

Daniel Botkin on Nature, the Environment and Global Warming 11/26/2007EconTalk
Created: 6/16/2026, 2:13:19 PM

My Notes

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