Montana State University researcher Gary Strobel’s newest discovery, “myco-diesel,” just might change the world.

Think about wildfire in the West and it’s hard to picture a rosy future, except for the sunsets bleeding through the smoke.
Climate change, spreading subdivisions, a scarcity of skilled fire bosses, and the threat of legal action against firefighters if things go awry all combine to create dark and smoky prospects.

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Drier forests, more homes in the woods and a litigious society combine to make a risky future.

Dick Mangan has fought fires around the country for 40 years and can wear a number of hats: operations chief, planning chief and safety officer.

He’s also past president of the International Association of Wildland Fire, a professional association with thousands of members. He knows his business.

But these days, when he goes on a fire, his wife issues a warning.

“My wife tells me, “Don’t do something stupid. I don’t want to lose the house,” he said.

Like many fire bosses, Mangan has a new concern: personal and legal liability if something goes wrong and lives or property are lost.

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