Enclosed please find information that that was sent to me which
questions the value of prescribed burns.  I know that foresters don't
like burning, but it still merits some looking into:  

In the past week or two about some research evidence on fires in CA
shrubland has been compiled.  The research suggested that (1) fire
frequency was directly correlated with population density, and (2) age
of the brush (the best proxy for fuel loading) was irrelevant in
determining size of fires.  The latter conclusion is important because
it suggests that prescribed burning will have no measurable impact on
extent of fires or fire damage in CA shrubland.  (This is probably true
in any areas/ecosystems where fires are largely driven by wind, which
might actually include most western ecosystems.)  

This information was contained in the Oct. 1999 Forestry Source,  a
tabloid-type "newsletter" from the Society of American Foresters.  For
further info, the article referred us to Jon Keeley, USGS, Western
Ecological Research Center, 6000 J St., Placer Hall, Sacramento, CA
95819-6129; 559/ 565-3170, fax 559/ 565-3177.