Kevin.     I'm a bit unsure of terms here.   I support controlled burns that take out fuel at the ground level.    Would this be considered thinning?    If there is less fuel at ground level, the temperature is mitigated and the flames don't reach the forrest canopy.

My wife pointed out that after cutting, the unusable part of the tree,(non money making parts), limbs and such, when peeled of the trees, remains on the ground, a great fuel for future fires that can be traced back to explosive fires.    It might also accelerate fires that race across these field into the next stand of trees.   I believe these piles are called 'slash'.