Fires that occur naturally or are managed appropriately are considered agents of ecosystems renewal. However, the same fire can be perceived as a force of destruction when out of control and may have diverse and complex social, economic, and environmental impacts. These are known as wildfires. In recent decades, wildfires are burning more acres, becoming more severe, and causing more destruction. Depending on the location of the fire and the direction of spread (uphill vs. downhill), wildfires can engulf massive areas within a short period of time and can be highly destructive. The impacts of wildfire are both direct and indirect. Direct impacts include poor forest conditions, loss of wildlife habitats and biodiversity, loss of soil organic matter, infrastructure destruction, loss of community, increased air pollution, and an increase in adverse climate impacts from the release of greenhouse gases such as CO2. Wildfires can also destroy culturally important archeological sites, which can be translated into the loss of such local and cultural heritage.