Recently, I revisited Cougar Hot Springs, a place I hadn't seen since my teenage years. The transformation was startling. Where once lush greenery enveloped the pools, now stood a forest of charred trees, remnants of the devastating Terwilliger Fire of 2018. The serene ambiance had been replaced by an eerie silence, the landscape scarred and blackened. This stark scene prompted me to delve into Oregon's history of wildfire management and understand how our practices have changed over time....