A Bit of History Re: Inevitability of a fire

There's a lot of history in the US that led to the ill-advised policy of putting all fires out ASAP. Two that jump to mind are the summer/fall (1873? same time as the great Chicago fire) that much of Wisconsin burned to the ground and the Big Burn in North Idaho & Western Montana(1910), both of which killed people and burned towns & farms wholesale. After the Big Burn in particular, "Never Again" became a mantra for the then-new Forest Service.
To be somewhat nearer to on-topic, the CM&StP (no final "P" until the 1920's) cited not starting forest fires as one of the reasons for/advantages of its brand new(1913-16) electrification in the Bitterroots. The Pacific Extension ran right through the heart of the burned area and cinders were one of the suspected culprits in starting the fires.

hank