Igniting Change with the Napa Prescribed Burn Association

Active Prescribed Fire

There is generally a lot of excitement about using prescribed fire to manage landscapes and ecosystems – and for good reasons. Fire has always been a part of California’s history and environment. Whether this fire started from natural ignition or intentionally by humans, it has played a vital role in shaping the biodiversity that establishes our state as a biodiversity hotspot. Prescribed fire is the use of fire under certain conditions to achieve specific goals or outcomes (ecosystem resilience, wildlife habitat improvement, invasive plant management). It is a cost-effective management tool that restores a necessary component to the environment.  The Napa Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) is building a network within our community dedicated to assisting neighbors in using prescribed fire on their lands. Why? To improve ecosystem health and community-wide resilience to catastrophic fires.

As the burn season comes to an end, we’re excited to share an update about what the Napa PBA has been up to recently:

With an early start to a long day, volunteers from the Napa, Solano, and Yolo PBAs and various organizations gathered in the Pacific Union College Forest Trailhead parking lot to conduct a 28-acre understory broadcast burn to manage fuels in a previously treated area of the PUC forest. This burn project is part of a larger California Vegetation Treatment Program project led by Napa Communities Firewise Foundation, supported by certified burn boss Phil Dye and resources from CalFire, local fire districts, and the Napa, Solano, and Yolo PBAs. This project was rescheduled several times, an example of the precise planning of broadcast burns and the prescriptions (weather, fuel moisture, etc.) that need to be met for a successful burn. A prescribed burn like this requires managing many moving pieces! 

Active prescribed burn at PUC Demonstration Forest

The long-awaited day finally arrived. Volunteers were geared up in fire resistant or natural-fiber clothing, drip torches and tools in hand, and ready to reintroduce low-intensity fire into a forest that hadn’t seen fire in many decades.  Warmer afternoon temperatures and winds that encouraged favorable fire behavior made for a productive burn. At the end of the day, the landowner, project manager, and burn boss were happy with the level of fuel the fire consumed, as well as the community participation in and support for the project. Passing the drip torch around, practicing firing techniques, and observing and chatting about all things fire was a great way to spend the day with friends and colleagues, both new and old.  Events like this are important in building local knowledge, skills, and community to support more prescribed burning in our county.  

As we prepare for the next burn season, the Napa PBA will be busy creating a strong foundation to support community-based burning. From planning and coordinating burn projects, to organizing training and education events, and seeking funding to build our capacity, we are excited to continue this work in Napa County. Don’t miss out on this exciting movement! Stay updated by joining the Napa PBA email list and inquire about ways you can get involved. We are looking for volunteers, both with and without fire experience, neighbors interested in burning on their land, and funding opportunities and donations to support equipment purchases and overall coordination of the Napa PBA.  Prescribed burn associations are grounded in community and could not be possible without the support and participation from our neighbors and fellow peers. 

Napa PBA members at the PUC Demonstration Forest prescribed burn