Learn and Burn Near Carlton, WA

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A one-day, two-part training consisted of a morning and afternoon session. The morning session focused on prescribed fire planning fundamentals. All participants received a copy of the PBA’s Fuels, Weather & Topography for Prescribed Fire handbook, which structured instruction around each topic. The session was led by Erin Springer, a USFS fire and fuels manager. The afternoon session was a live burn. Conditions allowed participants to both observe and engage in all day-of elements of the burn. Safety protocols, Ignition techniques, patrolling, and mop-up activities were implemented under the supervision of fire professionals.

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Post Burns Report

We've been monitoring the recovery of the sites of the three burns we completed since October and we're very happy with the results! In October 2024 we burned 1 acre that had lots of dead branches on the ground and old stumps. We had a good mosaic of some areas that burned very hot and others very lightly. October 26, 2024 Admittedly, that unit didn't look as good as we were hoping in the early spring. While the adjacent unburned units were very lush, the burned one was slow to get started with quite a bit of bare ground showing. May 10, 2025 But arnica eventually started popping up and we had thrown some yarrow seeds on the most severely burned patches (mainly from large stumps) and that's what you can see on the right side of the photos. June 21, 2025 The yarrow is now growing abundantly and the arnica is still blooming despite having gone to seed weeks ago in the unburned units. We definitely overseeded the yarrow and some of it is starting to dry ou...

John Marshall Presentation

We were thrilled to host photographer John Marshall last Monday night for an incredible presentation on the essential role of prescribed fire in land stewardship. Through his powerful photography, John highlighted the stark contrast between areas that had been thinned and prescribed burned versus those left unmanaged when wildfire came through. The difference was striking! A huge thank you to everyone who attended—we hope you left inspired and empowered to take action on your land. As John reminded us, fire will come to our communities one way or another. We can either wait for a wildfire to take its course, or we can be proactive by reducing fuels and helping your forests withstand fire through intentional, low-intensity prescribed burns. You can see more of John’s incredible work at his website: https://www.jfmarshall.com

Spring 2025 Learn to Burn Event

We had a great day of learning despite the cold wind! Tom Leuschen talked about the different factors that impact fuel moisture and fire behavior. We then moved around to warm up a little and Xavier gave a tour of the unit that was burned last Fall, leading to a great conversation of what landowners have to do to prepare their property to receive a prescribed fire. After a great lunch provided by the PBA and the landowner, we learned how to set up a proper hose lay around a burn unit and Tom demonstrated the patterns of ignition that can be used during a burn. Participants gained a greater appreciation and understanding for prescribed fire and most of them came back the next day for the Demonstration Burn!

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