Mother Jones: The central California wildfire that yesterday destroyed three homes and forced hundreds of evacuations is just the latest blaze to strain the nation's overburdened federal firefighting system. According to the latest official update, by Monday evening the Shirley Fire had consumed 2,600 acres near Sequoia National Forest and cost over $4 million, as more than 1,000 firefighters scrambled to contain it.
This year, in the midst of severe drought across the West, top wildfire managers in Washington...