If you’re looking forward to fireworks over the July Fourth weekend, you’re probably not a firefighter or someone with a house next to a tinder-dry patch of woods.

More Americans than ever are living in or near fire-prone forests. The territory some researchers call the “wildland-urban interface” grew by 61 percent between 1970 and 2000, according to a recent analysis. Add a rising global temperature and depleted snow packs, and you’ve got a recipe for lots more devastating wildfires.

Even with more federal funds going to fight fires, many believe the resources aren’t keeping up with the rising risks. The Boston Globe reports today that some wealthy homeowners are hiring private firefighters for additional protection, while California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing a “fire-fighting fee” on home insurance in the state, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.