After witnessing panic-stricken evacuations and thick ash falling on my back porch, the time to act was now.
I recognized the critical need for public education surrounding fire mitigation at the wildland urban interface. As we continue to face the increasing likelihood of wildfires, I aim to build community fire preparedness by participating in–and later leading–cooperative mitigation efforts.
To support my local community to combat future wildfires, I began volunteering with my local Prescribed Burn Association (PBA). Along with several PBA members, I attended pile burn workshops, created defensible space around homes, and participated in prescribed fires near residential areas and parks at high risk for future wildfire. I not only learned applicable fire skills, but further recognized the critical importance of community education and engagement in fire preparedness. As we lit our first pile of the day and gathered around to share construction and burning methods, we gained insight about how our heavily forested community can be treated and managed to combat our fire-prone future. Further, this fire community–along with my encouraging mentors–introduced me to the possibility of pursuing a career in this field. I became motivated to continue balancing my participation on the fire line and expanding public outreach. At age 22, I knew my professional career in fire had just begun.
Attending my first TREX–a prescribed fire training exchange–showed me the benefits and effectiveness of knowledge-sharing to bring “good fire” back to the landscape. I witnessed and participated in collaborations across land management agencies, tribal members, fire personnel, and scientists to bring intentional and beneficial fire to coastal grassland ecosystems in Monterey County. We also learned about bringing traditional burning practices back to the landscape to restore and manage the land. After each burn event, we all gathered to discuss the burn objectives, end results, and the operational procedure. Each project partner has their own unique experience on the fire line; with knowledge-sharing opportunities, we can identify and untangle interdependent ecological, cultural, and prescribed fire goals.
Working for a regional park agency in the San Francisco Bay Area allowed me to participate in mitigation efforts in park land surrounding fire-prone communities. Achieving large scale fire mitigation projects required collaboration across several land management agencies and foresters. I learned the effectiveness of inclusivity when stewarding forests in collaboration with various land management groups--each with the same goal of establishing heathy, resilient forests. As an intern in undergraduate school, I was tasked with my first forestry project that soon changed the trajectory of my career: estimating timber volume for a fire-prone and non-native tree removal project in a redwood forest ecosystem. As I crawled through vegetation to lay out my first survey plot, I had an up-close view of an overstocked forest: overgrown, without a consistent fire regime, and in transition to a new ecosystem. In collaboration with resource consultants and foresters, we planned and executed a forest health project that mitigates wildfire near neighboring communities and high use areas such as trails, homes, and parks. This interdisciplinary collaboration gave me insight to the communication skills and cooperation efforts that allow for effective fire mitigation at large scales.
As I continue my career in forest management, I hope to expand public outreach that highlights the importance of forest stewardship for maintaining healthy ecosystems.
Growing up, I spent countless summer days exploring the forest near my childhood home. I continue to experience the magic of the old-growth redwoods that survived the CZU fire and persist amid the looming climate crisis. As I assist with field operations for forest health projects in redwood forest parks, I hope to provide this same experience for the public to feel the magic of healthy, beautiful forests. Providing creative outreach materials informs the broader community about resilient forests and the benefits of prescribed fire. Further, sharing knowledge about fire prevention can empower landowners to participate in mitigation efforts, without previous fire experience. To extend education surrounding vegetation management, I co-lead field work opportunities to share my knowledge of vegetation research and land stewardship with high school students. Additionally, as I build my career in the forest industry, I aim to host community field days, research opportunities, and events for the public to be included in forest stewardship.
My time working on prescribed fires, implementing collaborative forest health projects, and participating in community outreach inspired me to pursue graduate school this fall. During this time, I will continue to develop my career as a fire professional and leader while leveraging my research position to reach a broader audience. In my early career, I have become more familiar with the operations side of fire mitigation; I hope to gain a better understanding of fire impacts on conifer forests and apply this knowledge to develop adaptive management strategies. With my new role in graduate school comes the opportunity to collaborate with federal and state agencies, tribal groups, PBA’s, and other fire professionals to conduct meaningful research applicable for the stewardship of parks and communities. I hope to continue my collaboration with my local PBA and land management agency to ensure that my career will further the fire community’s understanding of fire and climate change impacts on forests. As the CZU Fire sparked my enthusiasm for fire management, I hope to kindle a more sustainable and fire-resilient future.