Prescription for Resiliency: California State Parks Continues to Expand Use of Beneficial Fire
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A member of the California State Parks burn crew carefully sets fire during a prescribed burn operation at Salt Point State Park on Oct. 31.
Photo from California State Parks.
What you need to know: With the help of historic investments under the Newsom administration, California State Parks has significantly expanded its use of prescribed fire to improve wildfire resiliency, reduce fuels and restore fire-adapted ecosystems at parks all over the state – a trend that will continue following a recent executive order.
SACRAMENTO — On the heels of Governor Gavin Newsom’s latest executive order aimed at expanding the use of beneficial fire, California State Parks recently wrapped up prescribed burn operations at several parks statewide, continuing a significant expansion thanks to strategic investments under the Newsom administration’s wildfire packages.
Among the recent operations was a unique training at Salt Point State Park and Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve in Sonoma County, allowing park experts to showcase how prescribed burns are an important tool in the department’s ongoing efforts to reduce wildfire risk, improve the health of the local ecosystems by supporting native plants and wildlife, protect nearby communities and promote the long-term resilience of California's public lands.
“Prescribed fires are not just a land management strategy but a time-tested tool to help increase biodiversity and reduce the risk of larger, more destructive wildfires,” said California State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “Thanks to Governor Newsom’s leadership and the help of our partners, we are expanding this essential work to make our state's majestic landscapes healthier for generations to come.
The burn at Salt Point State Park on Oct. 31 was conducted as part of State Parks’ Prescribed Fire Training Exchange, known as TREXs. Led by an experienced team including Statewide Burn Boss Sarah Gibson, the training helps facilitate information sharing and relationship building for personnel who work with fire. These exchanges provide certified fire practitioners with the opportunity to hone their skills and work toward or achieve more advanced qualifications with the support of fellow fire management professionals, some of whom came from as far away as Canada to participate. View photos and a video from the training and burn here.
Governor Newsom has signed two executive orders to streamline the use of prescribed fire in California, including one on Oct. 29 aimed at expanding use of beneficial fire as a wildfire prevention strategy, which highlighted the benefits of training exchanges. These directives are helping State Parks increase the pace and scale of its burns by supplementing funding for this essential work, streamlining the permitting process and opening the door for more partners, including volunteer fire departments and Indigenous practitioners, to be part of the burns.
State Parks has a more than 50-year legacy of using prescribed fire to steward California’s public lands. Even during periods when prescribed burns fell out of favor, the department maintained the use of this critical tool, guided by science and early leaders such as UC Berkeley professor Harold Biswell, a pioneer in modern fire management. Today, State Parks continues that leadership, using science-backed planning to protect native plants and wildlife, preserve cultural resources and promote healthier, more resilient ecosystems.
“State Parks has been burning for 50-plus years, and we incorporate science into every prescribed burn to steward public lands,” said Burn Boss Gibson. “The incredible work our staff is doing is helping keep California’s forests and state parks healthy.”
Learn more about State Parks’ use of prescribed fire and the benefits on our website.
Prescribed Fire by the Numbers
- While State Parks has been conducting prescribed burns since 1973, the department’s use of beneficial fire has significantly expanded since 2020 thanks to over $100 million in targeted state funding. These strategic investments under the Newsom administration’s wildfire packages have allowed for increased staffing and training and associated equipment to carry out prescribed burns and vegetation management to improve wildfire resiliency, reduce fuels and restore fire-adapted ecosystems at parks all over the state.
- Over the last four years, State Parks has conducted prescribed burns covering more than 12,000 acres at nearly 70 state parks – many of which had not experienced beneficial fire in decades.
- During that same period, the department completed 44,000 acres of vegetation management at 147 state parks to restore native plants and manage invasive species that are often unwanted fuels. This includes forest thinning in preparation for beneficial fire and to protect structures from wildfire and removing invasive plants to decrease wildfire risk, in addition to prescribed burns.
- In just the past three weeks, State Parks has completed 11 prescribed burns covering 200 acres of parkland and prepped six other state parks for controlled burns if conditions allowed.
- The long-term trend of the department’s prescribed fire efforts points to a continued expansion of beneficial fire at state parks, efforts that will be further aided by Governor Newsom’s executive orders.
Prescribed Burn Facts That May Surprise You
- Fire is Natural – And Some Species Need It to Thrive
Fire has shaped many of California’s ecosystems for millennia. In fact, some native plants are designed to sprout only after heat or smoke touches their seeds, and others need bare soil to germinate. By reintroducing fire in a safe, controlled way, prescribed burns help these species regenerate, strengthen wildlife habitat, and reduce the risk of more intense wildfires in nearby communities.
- Prescribed Burns Actually Mean Less Smoke Over Time
It may seem counterintuitive, but small, controlled burns releasing smoke when conditions are preferable help prevent the massive, weeks-long smoke impacts produced by catastrophic wildfires. By reducing excess vegetation, prescribed burns limit the amount of fuel that would otherwise burn uncontrollably later, protecting air quality, communities and critical infrastructure.
- Prescribed Burns Require Careful Planning and Preparation
Before a single spark is lit, State Parks staff conduct extensive surveys, map sensitive plants and wildlife, develop detailed burn plans, prepare the site using minimally invasive techniques, monitor weather patterns and assemble trained crews with the expertise to carry out the operation.
- Beneficial Fire Has Deep Roots in California
California Native American tribes and cultural practitioners have used cultural fire since time immemorial to steward the land. These practices were outlawed by state and federal authorities for two centuries, leading to disrupted ecosystems and increased wildfire risk. Today, State Parks is actively collaborating with tribes to restore cultural fire to the landscape and incorporate traditional knowledge into modern land management.
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