Cheatgrass making wildfires worse

Cheatgrass thrives in arid climates and grows as high as a horses knee. A major problem that comes with the growth of cheatgrass is that it burns a lot. It grows fast in spring and spreads out between native plants. By summer the grass has died and becomes a serious fire hazard.
Jennifer Blanch studies fires says that cheatgrass doubles the chance of fire in the Great Basin. When the grass dies it becomes a blanket of fuel. Ways to try and prevent fire from spreading would be to plant vegetation around the cheatgrass that is less flammable. They also mention a fungus called "black fingers of death" that kills cheatgrass, but what it could do with other plants could be a big risk if it's introduced to the area.



http://www.npr.org/2012/12/05/166574589/in-arid-west-cheatgrass-turns-fires-into-infernos