What we're talking about here is hazard fuel reduction in areas which nationally are referred to as the "wild land/urban interface". People continue to build permanent and secondary homes in interface areas such as around Eagle River. That's fine, but under certain weather and fuel load circumstances, such homes are at real risk in the event of a wildfire. Professionally executed, hazard fuel reduction lowers the risk of devastating  losses to life and property. It also gives firefighters a much better chance of successful suppression of fires that do occur.

Hazard fuel reduction efforts, paid for by various State and Federal agencies, are far cheaper than costs incurred fighting wildfires.