(Colby K. Neal / Bureau of Land Management)

Those who try to stop or manage devastating wildland fires spend most of their time trying to adapt the forest using things like controlled burns or cutting down trees.

But a new study says we should be spending our time and money making homes in these areas harder to burn down.

That's a controversial idea for many who don't want to be told what to do with their private property, and it would take political will and new zoning and building codes to make it happen.

Mountain West News Bureau Boise Reporter Murphy Woodhouse joined Idaho Matters to tell us more.