Controlled burns are also conducted because the fire cycle is an important aspect of management for many ecosystems. These are not considered hazards unless they were to get out of control. Washington state is prone to wild land fires with a fire season that usually runs from mid-May through October. The effects of wild land fires vary with intensity, area and time of year. The greatest short-term loss is the complete destruction of valuable resources, such as timber, wildlife habitat, recreation areas, and watersheds .
Severe fires producing high soil temperatures create a water-repellent layer below the soil surface.
The soil above this layer becomes highly prone to erosion, often resulting in mud slides. Long-term effects are reduced amounts of timber for commercial purposes and the reduction of travel and recreational activities in the affected area. Loss of life and personal property occur as well. These types of fires have increased dramatically in the last two decades as more and more people move to rural areas. Between 1970 and 1980 the rural population of the United States increased 23.4 percent, more than twice the gain of 11.4 percent for the nation as a whole.