So far this year, more than 5.7 million acres have burned in this nation due to wildfire.
In California, some 750,000 acres have been destroyed, along with thousands of structures. And on Monday, Draper Battalion Chief Matthew Burchett died after a tree fell on him while he was helping fight blazes in that state.
In Utah, more than 160,000 acres have been charred and state Forester Brian Cottam told legislators Wednesday that this could be one of the worst fire years on record.
Then we have Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who this week, while touring firefighting operations in California, rejected the notion that climate change has anything to do with the tragic infernos.