In California, Controlled Fires Can Save Homes. Why Aren't More Happening? (September 2024)
www.nytimes.com

... Mr. Koller, 34, said there was no way to know for sure if the intentional burns, which occurred periodically in the years before the fire, including two in March, had made the difference. "But prescribed fire was part of that puzzle," he said.

Federal and state agencies, as well as other groups that work with them, including private citizens and businesses, are setting fires that burn the dry grasses, small trees and other vegetation that could otherwise fuel an intense wildfire. Research has shown that these burns reduce wildfire risk, potentially saving lives and property.

While the state is increasing its use of beneficial fire, as the method is called, officials and experts alike say it is far from enough to meet the threat posed by catastrophic wildfires. ...

Land managers in the state, including the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and federal agencies have set a target of intentionally burning 400,000 acres annually by next year, an amount of land that when combined would be larger than the city of Los Angeles. The goal is to chip away at the 10 million to 30 million acres that officials estimate would benefit from some form of fuel reduction treatment. In 2022, the most recent year for which there is data publicly available, about 96,000 acres were burned by these land managers.

"The state is struggling to get anywhere close to the targets they have for prescribed fire," said Chris Field, a climate scientist at Stanford who has studied controlled burns. "It's clear that there would be real profound benefits of reaching the target and ultimately going beyond it." ...