Foresters and ecologists argue that large controlled burns in Yellowstone prior to the fires would not have greatly reduced the area that was consumed in 1988. Controlled burns would quickly become uncontrolled if they were allowed to burn with the intensity that many tree and plant communities need for proper regeneration.
Ecologists and foresters argue that prior large-scale controlled burns in Yellowstone would likely not have significantly reduced the land affected by fires in 1988. If such burns were permitted to proceed with the typical intensity needed for forest regeneration, they could quickly turn into uncontrolled wildfires.