A recent executive order by California Gov. Gavin Newsom aims to ramp up fire safety in urban areas as new maps released by the state show more than 1 million acres are at a higher risk of wildfires.

Our brains build maps of the environment that help us understand the world around us, allowing us to think, recall, and plan.

Fewer wildfires burn in North American forests today than in previous centuries, increasing the risk of more severe wildfires ...