Wild about fire

In May, forest fires ripped through the American West, scorching the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory and singeing the Grand Canyon. Controlling fires is a part of US ecological history. But today all is not well with the US’s forest and fire services. Especially when it turned out that the Los Alamos fire had been started deliberately as a “fire protection” measure. Arizona State University pyromantic Steve Pyne is perhaps the world’s leading fire historian. Pyne has been there, pointed the hose and written the book. He even has a little cabin in the pines. Fred Pearce asked him what…