As the next wildfire season approaches, Washington is preparing for what experts are saying could be a “challenging” year. Many people may wonder why wildfire season has become so severe and what has led to this level of concern for Washington’s forests.

A recent film, called “The West is Burning” aims to answer some of those questions by examining the history of forest management and social conflict that has led to current wildfire conditions like longer fire seasons and widespread destruction.

UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences Emeritus Professor Jerry Franklin is featured in the film. The movie is a full-feature documentary was produced by Landmark Stories at The University of Arizona by filmmakers Cody Sheehy and Galen McCaw, in association with Wallowa Resources.

Watch the film here.