VIDEO: Wildfire season is upon us, and instead of being reactive, the Forest Service is working on being proactive with the help of researchers from the University of Arizona. They're studying tree rings because we can't know where we're going unless we know where we've been.
Just like people, each tree has a story of its own. They wear their scars on their sleeves, giving us a glimpse into the past. In the southeastern part of Arizona, the trees in the Pinaleno Mountains are under the microscope.
"That specific area is subject to fire almost at any time," said Ann Lynch, a Forest Service Researcher.
They randomly selected thousands of trees, of all different species. Then researchers removed a piece from each tree, and they open them up, looking for evidence of fire.