Common Ground: Prescribed Fire, Vineyards, and Community Resilience

The Common Ground: Prescribed Fire, Vineyards and Community Resilience event, hosted by the Climate & Wildfire Institute and CAL FIRE on April 14, 2026, in Napa, California brought together vintners, grape growers, prescribed fire practitioners, researchers, local organizations, and public agencies to advance open dialogue around the role of prescribed fire in winegrowing regions. Building on the momentum of the fall webinar, Prescribed Fire in Winegrower Country: How Much Smoke Is Too Much?, the convening focused on how prescribed fire is planned and implemented to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk while minimizing impacts to vineyards and surrounding communities. Participants explored the evolving science of smoke exposure and grape vulnerability, shared lessons from local prescribed burn efforts, and discussed operational challenges and opportunities related to communication, coordination, monitoring, and implementation. Throughout the day, panel discussions and technical spotlights highlighted emerging tools, research, and operational resources that support prescribed fire planning, smoke monitoring, modeling, and community engagement, reinforcing the importance of accessible information-sharing and cross-sector collaboration.