Photos: Best of the West

This Tuesday, June 26, 2012 photo provided by the U.S. Forest Service shows the Fontenelle Fire burning in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyo. Scientists studying government surveys from before the Civil War are challenging the current wisdom that today's western wildfires are burning hotter and more often than in the past. Researchers at the University of Wyoming who studied historical fire patterns across millions of acres say their findings show the fuel reduction programs run by the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies may be creating artificial conditions that make dry forests less resilient. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service)