Fire Management 24/7/365 has been postponed until February 11-12, 2021 and will now be virtual due to concerns over the coronavirus. See more information at https://www.georgewrightsociety.org/fire.
Fire Management 24/7/365 is a collaborative workshop designed to produce real, on-the-ground projects and other advances that increase the cooperative use of prescribed fire and other fuels treatments in California’s mixed-conifer forest ecosystems. After months of planning and re-configuring due to the pandemic, we are pleased to confirm that Fire Management 24/7/365 will take place on February 11–12 — now in an all-virtual format.
The Plenary Sessions from Fire Management 24/7/365 are now available on YouTube, consolidated into a single video and divided into chapters so you can go right to individual parts of interest:
Click on the “Show More” link at the bottom to see and navigate the chapters.
If you missed the workshop, the Plenary Sessions will give you a strong sense of the issues we discussed. The reports from the Working Session chairs summarize progress toward the projects they are working on.
Additional workshop information:
As you all know, the pandemic is not the only thing that has transformed our world. The devastating fire season this fall in California has fundamentally changed the conversation on how to manage fire across the state. New priorities are emerging, and with them come new possibilities for collaboration on prescribed fire/fuels management. Fire Management 24/7/365 is seizing the moment to help encourage fundamental change.
The workshop will consist of:
Livestreamed opening and closing Plenary Sessions that explore the impacts of the 2020 fire season on the future management strategies of three key agencies: CAL FIRE, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service. Both Plenary Sessions will provide additional context and perspectives on what changes are needed and what challenges lie ahead for wildland fire management in California.
Working Sessions to develop collaborative projects for prescribed fire/fuels treatments in three locations: Stanislaus National Forest/Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Forest/Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks, and mixed-conifer forests in San Diego County. The Working Sessions are by invitation and will not be streamed. The closing Plenary Session will include reports from the Working Sessions.
The overall mission of the workshop remains the same, but we are sharpening it to laser-focus on what needs to change — now — in the wake of California’s devastating 2020 wildfire season. The workshop program is available here.
Why are we doing this?
Catastrophic wildfires, sometimes called “megafires,” are more and more common in the western United States. California in particular is increasingly thought of as having a year-round (24/7/365) fire season. These megafires ignore boundaries, require prolonged and expensive interagency responses, and harm natural and cultural resources. Many agencies have developed programs designed to reduce wildfire risk, such as through the use of mechanical thinning or prescribed fire. However, these programs often are treating far fewer acres than called for in planning documents. Experienced fire scientists and managers believe it is time to reassess fire and fuels management programs.
To meet these challenges, the George Wright Society is organizing Fire Management 24/7/365, a collaborative, outcomes-focused training workshop to help practitioners, managers, and researchers from different agencies and organizations work together and with other land owners to reduce wildfire threat and restore fire-dependent mixed-conifer ecosystems in California.
You can be a part of it — register to view Plenary livestreams
You are cordially invited to take part in Fire Management 24/7/365 by viewing the livestreams of the Plenary Sessions. Registration will be open from January 17 through February 8.
For more information and how to register, please visit https://www.georgewrightsociety.org/fire
