Answer (A) is incorrect because the low-intensity fires that regularly occurred in ancient forests had no intention behind them, which is unlike the maintenance fires the author discusses.
Answer (B) is referring to the devasting crown wildfires mentioned in the second paragraph. This is not what "maintenance burns" are referring to.
Answer (C) is describing the uncontrollable wildfires that the author is providing a potential solution for. This is not what she means when she refers to "maintenance burns."
Answer (D) appears to be referring to the crown fires mentioned in paragraph two. The light fires mentioned in paragraph one occurred every 5 to 25 years, and this answer choice is hoping that you didn't pay enough attention in the passage to be able to differentiate between the categories of fires discussed.
Answer (E) is exactly what we're looking for. The main point of the third paragraph is that fuel is the thing that land managers can control and that maintenance fires can control fuel supply, thereby warding off uncontrollable wildfires. Answer (E) captures what maintenance fires are referring to and also connects them to their purpose of burning or eliminating fuel.
Hope this helps. Let us know if you have more questions!
