Intense wildfires plaguing much of the West have rekindled controversy over logging restrictions and fire management practices that critics say have created explosive fire seasons.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, took to the floor of the Senate on Thursday to describe the toll the fires have taken.
Efforts to thin dead and dying trees have been inadequate, he said as he stood next to a large photo of flames leaping from trees in the majestic Columbia River Gorge.
"This is a yearslong pattern in the West," he said, calling for smarter policies and criticizing the "broken system of fighting wildfires." He complained that federal funds earmarked for fire prevention are instead used for firefighting.