Why Is the Government So Lousy at Fighting Fires?

• Columnist Steven Greenhut takes aim at the government’s wildfire response, asking why public agencies so often struggle to contain blazes that threaten Southern California communities.
• He points to bureaucratic inefficiency and questions whether public fire management can keep pace with the scale of the threat.
• The column argues that fire protection should be scrutinized with the same urgency residents bring to every other public service.

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