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CAL FIRE Responds to Historic Storm Events Across the State
As part of our emergency response and all-hazards mission, we’re ready to serve when adverse weather hits. California continued to see dramatic storm conditions over the past month which led to equally dramatic rescues. As communities continue to navigate the impacts of these historic storms, CAL FIRE remains ready to respond. Check out the Riverside Unit Report on Conditions above to see examples of recent water rescues, pet safety and more. To see images and video from CAL FIRE’s storm response efforts across the state, follow the link to our Flickr page below.
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Post-Fire Recovery Grows New Local Jobs
The latest in the CAL FIRE Grants at Work series focuses on post-fire recovery in far northeastern California. In 2020, the Caldwell Fire burned more than 81,000 acres in both Modoc and Shasta Counties. Shortly thereafter, Del Logging applied for grant funding through CAL FIRE’s Wood Products and Bioenergy grant program for a new woodchipper operation to help speed up post fire recovery and grow local jobs.
This project created 15 new jobs in low-income communities and is improving post-fire recovery capacity. The logs salvaged from the project site are transported to a nearby bioenergy facility, providing renewable energy and locally sustainable jobs for the northeastern California economy.
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Celebrating California Arbor Week - Plant a Tree
Every year from March 7-14, California community members, cities, and businesses collaborate to educate Californians on the benefits and value of trees. Specifically, how they can assist in building successful, healthy cities and neighborhoods. Trees bring life to California – and that is worth celebrating!
Celebrate California Arbor Week and plant a tree! With a little help from Captain Cal, CAL FIRE put together an informational video explaining the proper way to plant a tree in your yard.
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Hemet Ryan Helitack Crew Honored with the Sikorsky Winged Rescue Award
At the end of February, CAL FIRE's Hemet Ryan Helitack Crew based in the Riverside Unit, was honored with the Sikorsky Winged Rescue Award at the Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2024 for their exceptional hoist rescue on Mt. San Jacinto in March 2023. Facing challenging weather conditions, including fast-moving clouds and heavy turbulence, the crew successfully rescued two individuals, demonstrating remarkable skill, dedication, and teamwork. Their courageous efforts underscore the critical role of helicopter rescue operations in saving lives in remote and treacherous environments and highlights the importance of their mission in safeguarding public safety and well-being.
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Fueling Resilience: CAL FIRE's Dynamic Efforts in Fuels Reduction
Fire is an essential ecological process in California's forests, but due to the legacy of fire suppression and exacerbated by climate change, in many parts of California, there is a greater risk of dangerous and damaging wildfires. To combat this risk, CAL FIRE and its grantees, along with federal and private partners, are removing overgrown vegetation through prescribed fire, tree thinning, pruning, chipping, and roadway clearance. These efforts create breaks in vegetation that change fire behavior, reduce negative ecosystem impacts, and enable fire fighters to better protect communities.
Want to see what's being done on the ground?
The public can track fuels reduction progress and projects being conducted by CAL FIRE and our grantees by clicking below to see the Fuels Reduction Viewer.
For a statewide snapshot that includes the work being done across federal and state jurisdictions, check out the Interagency Fuels Treatment Dashboard on the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force website.
To learn more about how CAL FIRE conducts fuels reduction work and the tools we use, check out the Fuels Reduction Guide.
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Building Trust and Learning with California Tribes
CAL FIRE’s grantee partners are fundamental meeting California’s fuels reduction goals and the newest addition to CAL FIRE's grant offering is the Tribal Wildfire Resilience Grant Program. California Tribes have been stewards of the land for millennia and Traditional Ecological Knowledge is invaluable in maintaining healthy ecosystems and wildfire resilient communities across the state, as demonstrated in the video above.
Tribal Wildfire Resilience grants supports California Native American tribes in managing ancestral lands, implementing and promoting Traditional Ecological Knowledge, establishing wildfire safety for tribal communities and fostering workforce development programs and skills. Tribal Wildfire Resilience grants fund planning and implementation projects that serve California Native American Tribes, and advance wildfire resilience, forest health, and cultural use of fire.
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Partnerships in Prevention: Get to Know CAL FIRE Partners in Fuels Reduction |
To reach our state’s fuels reduction targets, it is going to take the efforts of a wide array of partners and cooperators alongside CAL FIRE. Two of CAL FIRE’s many partners include the California Conservation Corps (CCC) and the California National Guard through Joint Task Force Rattlesnake (JTFR). These crews collaborate with CAL FIRE both on fuels reduction projects and wildland firefighting efforts, helping to increase the pace and scale of treatment while also expanding the firefighting and forestry workforce capacity of the state.
Learn more about CAL FIRE’s partnerships with both of these amazing organizations below.
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The G.O.A.T of Fuels Reduction
It’s not just humans who are part of the team making the California landscape more wildfire resilient. Our furry friends are also part of the effort. Many landowners, including municipalities, utilize herbivorous grazing as part their fuels reduction projects. Whether its goats, sheep, or cows, grazing disrupts fuel continuity horizontally and vertically through consumption and trampling, complementing other treatments like prescribed burning. It can follow burning to remove seed sources from dry plant materials inaccessible to grazing.
Grazing can also occur after cutting or burning fire breaks, extending maintenance intervals from 2-3 years to 5-10 years by reducing shrub growth within breaks, which would otherwise be limited by air quality regulations.
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The Fires You Never Heard About
While the ecological benefits of fuels reduction are numerous, the reduction of fuels to increase wildfire resilience and protect California’s communities is often a primary motivator for projects and funding. Fuel breaks not only act to provide a break in the path of fire, but they also provide valuable ingress and egress routes for firefighters. The Fuels Treatment Effectiveness Reports below detail three fuel break projects from 2023 that were each impacted by rapidly spreading wildfire and utilized by firefighting operations to stop the spread of fire, preventing thousands of dollars of damage and negative ecological impact.
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Two Veterans Jump in to Save the Day
Two Chico men were honored at an event at CAL FIRE-Butte County Fire Station 42 for their heroic efforts to help people escape a fire in Chico on December 9, 2023.
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New Drone Technology Detects Wildfires Before They Are Seen
While wildfires continue to haunt Californians, a UC Davis professor and his team are testing new technology, hoping to help detect fires before eyes or specialized cameras can.
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Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Sacramento Fire Department Arson Unit Make arrest in Arson Investigation
The CAL FIRE OSFM Arson and Bomb Unit and the Sacramento Fire Department Arson Unit thanked the public for its help in making multiple arrests in a February arson investigation at Sacramento State University.
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What Motivates CAL FIRE?
John Dobson has the job many a child might dream about. As a Heavy Equipment Operator, he's the firefighter clearing fire breaks with a bulldozer.
Dobson explains how the work and the people make the job a great experience.
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Join us. We’re Hiring Foresters
Whether you’re exploring new possibilities, just starting out, or already a seasoned pro, we likely have a fit for you. Visit our careers page and then watch what it means to be part of the CAL FIRE community.
Are you a Registered Professional Forester ready to begin your career as a Forester? Beginning salaries range from $70,140 to $91,020 per year along with pay bonuses, full benefits, paid time off, and much more! As a Forester, you will have the opportunity to take responsibility for a segment of operations at a state forest or nursery, serve as staff specialists in resource management programs, ensure environmental compliance, draft and develop policy and procedures for the department, and help with emergency assignments.
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Join our email list by signing up here and checking "Monthly CAL FIRE Community e-news"
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