The fires that incinerated much of Los Angeles last year were no anomaly. Changing climate, forests, and settlement patterns are breaking down the barriers that usually have kept wildfires in the woods. This course will examine what is making wildfires more devastating and sometimes unstoppable, with a particular focus on one that destroyed much of a city in western Canada. It will consider the rising risk of wildfires in New England, where wildfire was once common, and what New Hampshire and Vermont are doing about it. The course will mix lectures with class discussion, including a talk by a New Hampshire state official.