California wildfires have been ravaging the state for years, and the California Fire Department is doing its best to combat them. In recent years, they have adopted a new tactic: using prescribed fires, or controlled burns, to prevent larger, more destructive wildfires from forming.
Controlled burns are carefully planned and conducted in order to reduce the amount of fuel that could lead to large-scale fires. The California Fire Department has turned to this technique as an alternative to traditional firefighting methods such as bulldozing and intentionally setting fires in high risk areas. The goal is to reduce the amount of flammable material available for a fire to spread throughout the forest.
The department works with local resources such as land management agencies and Native American tribes who understand the natural balance of ecosystems to decide which areas are prime candidates for prescribed fires. Once a decision is made, firefighters conduct careful tests measuring wind direction, temperature levels, and topography before deciding how much of an area should be burned. Teams then create “black lines” along predetermined boundaries so that they can contain the fire within those borders.
This technique is becoming increasingly popular in California due in part to a powerful documentary released by Netflix called “Fire on the Hill” which captures how firefighters fight fire with fire by introducing prescribed burning into their practices. It also highlights many of the challenges they face while attempting to control these powerful blazes while preserving forests and wildlife habitats at the same time.
Prescribed burning is an innovative approach that can help prevent catastrophic wildfires in California from happening but it must be done responsibly and cautiously for it work effectively. Despite its potential benefits however, it remains controversial due its significant environmental impacts—which means we still have much work ahead of us when it comes protecting our lands from wildland fires. To learn more about how this revolutionary strategy is being implemented across the state we strongly enacourage viewers watch Fire on The Hill – an extraordinary story about hope amid destruction brought together by some of California’s bravest firefighters who are fighting fire with fire!
