Conversation

"prairie dogs in North America keep their colonies free of vegetation, which deprives fires of necessary fuel.

"Prairie dogs’ impressive power was put on display in 2021, when the Marshall Fire burned through part of Colorado’s densely populated Front Range. The inferno, the most destructive in the state’s history, killed two people and torched more than 1,000 homes and businesses. But even within the fire’s perimeter, scientists found large patches of unburned land ringing prairie dog colonies."
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/wildfire-prevention-restoration-animals