EUGENE, Ore., Sept. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. and European scientists say there was a dramatic decline in wildfires from 1870 to 1970, following a period of increased fires between 1750 and 1870.
Led by Jennifer Marlon, a University of Oregon doctoral student, nine researchers from seven institutions in France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States analyzed 406 sedimentary charcoal records from lake beds on six continents.