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Wildfires have always been part of the natural cycle. Its nature's brush-control mechanism. You get drought, fire, rainfall, and regrowth. Trouble is, a lot of people have taken up residence in these areas and they have to face the consequences. Fires in prehistoric times often burned completely across what is now the state, right up to the water's edge. In my home state, NJ, fires would burn from the Delaware River across the Pine Barrens to the Atlantic Ocean. But regrowth and reseeding always allowed the land to recover. Various types of flora adapted to survive fire, and often depended on it for rejuvenation. Pitch pine cones would survive the initial fire, then the residual heat would pop them open and allow the seeds to take root in the sandy soil which was temporarily fertilized by the ash residue from the burned underbrush. The pine cones were "wrapped" in a sticky pitch which would hold the seeds inside until favorable conditions (heat) melted the coating and released the seeds for rooting in the ash-covered ground.

Prevention is going to be tough in the Cali environment because of the winds. Conflagration management in this type of environment often comes down to trying to channel wildfire burns into unexpressive areas (e.g., uninhabited areas like canyons and valleys where natural boundaries can limit spread) where the fire can burn itself out. But with 40-50 mph dry winds blowing flames and embers ahead of the fire front, its going to be tough to make that happen.

The wooded areas in the Plains States are mostly man made. Prior to the settling of the West fires rendered the heartland a grassy plain.

Homestead laws required wide areas of open land with acreaages partitioned off for timber and tread fencelines to help with soil erotion. A bit of work with plows and some backfires along the fenceline enabled prairie fires to be somewhat controlled in all but the highest winds.