Houses and other developments near forests or other undeveloped areas, known as the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), are vulnerable to wildfires because they're essentially surrounded by fuel.

Anything that can burn is fuel for a fire. In the right conditions, excess fuel such as shrubs, dead leaves, and fallen pine needles allow fires to burn hotter, larger, longer, and faster making them more difficult and dangerous to manage. The extent and density of vegetation around a structure influence the ability of firefighters to prevent it from burning in a wildfire. 

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Fuel treatments and other wildfire mitigation tasks make unwanted wildfires less likely and easier to manage. By learning to live with fire, we improve public and firefighters safety and reduce impacts of fire when it occurs.