Though the US Forest Service fought wildfires long before World War II, the war made doing it even more important. The forest service began using colorful posters to teach Americans about the dangers of forest fires. Since most physically fit men who were able to already were serving in the armed forces, there were few people who could stay back and put them out as a job. The hope was that local communities, educated about the danger of forest fires, could prevent them from starting in the first place. However, Japan saw wildfires as a possible weapon. Forest fires could waste the time of people in the United States who could otherwise be involved in the war. They could also destroy natural resources.