Soil, the foundation …
Soil is the most critical component of a healthy garden, a healthy landscape, and a healthy planet - we pollute it, we compact it, we do all sorts of horrid things to it, and yet I believe it is THE critical element in all of this. No terrestrial plant will be healthy if it is growing in unhealthy soil, and an unhealthy plant is inherently flammable. Follow along and see if you agree.
This study - you gotta download the full pdf and make a cuppa. Sit and read it all. I mean it. It is the best, most comprehensive study I’ve ever read on mulches (they use the term more broadly than is popular, so keep that in mind). I especially love how they discuss weed fabric and all that. Worth it.
Oh, and it is on mulch as a horticultural thing - for studies on mulch vs fire, see the 2 buttons below: