By Amy Tims | Contributing Columnist
Acknowledging the history of wildfire suppression can help us ignite ecological solutions for our future.
In the sun-blessed landscape of Southern California, wildfires have long danced across the horizon, shaping the land in ways both dramatic and profound. For time immemorial, wildfires have been an integral and beneficial aspect of California’s natural landscape. Historically these fires were ignited by lightning strikes or Native American land management practices, playing a vital role in maintaining biodiversity and renewing the landscape.
These fiery spectacles, fueled by dry vegetation and winds, have swept through the landscape consuming old growth and clearing accumulated debris for new life to emerge. Flora and fauna, also adapted to this cycle of destruction and renewal, evolving strategies to survive and thrive in the wake of flames. For example, chaparral shrubs and some pine trees have adapted fire-resistant bark and seeds that require heat to germinate.
With the arrival of European settlers and urbanization, what was once seen as a natural and necessary process became challenged as a threat to life and property.
In 1850, California outlawed controlled burns practiced by Native American tribes, known as the Act for the Government and Protection of Indians. By the early 20th century, aggressive fire suppression efforts were implemented, aimed at extinguishing wildfires as quickly as possible and disrupting this natural fire cycle leading to a buildup of vegetation and fuel loads. By preventing small frequent fires that would naturally clear vegetation, fuel loads accumulated leading to larger and more destructive wildfires when they do occur.
Fire suppression has altered the composition and structure of California’s plant communities. The absence of regular fires also led to the decline of fire-adapted species and the encroachment of non-native plants. Without the natural process of fire to regulate population dynamics, invasive species have dominated, marginalizing biodiversity and habitat integrity. Invasive plant species are often more fire-prone than native species and can thrive in the absence of fire, further positioning themselves to outcompete native vegetation.
As we grapple with the legacy of fire suppression and the increasing threat of wildfires in Southern California, there is a growing recognition of the ecological importance of wildfires and need to restore fire-adapted ecosystems.
Organizations like Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance, TERA for short, is working to reintroduce Indigenous cultural burn practices to the landscape. Cultural burns are planned low intensity burns that help restore biodiversity, promote ecosystem health, and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
Dianne Dollente, formerly an Inland Empire local, found her way to fire through her passion for habitat conservation. When living in Riverside, Dianne spent many hours helping volunteers at Rivers & Lands Conservancy assisting with hands-on habitat restoration work. She has since moved north to become a fire practitioner in San Rafael. Dianne started in 2023 as a prescribed fire apprentice with Fire Forward. During the collaborative apprenticeship program, she was introduced to TERA where she learned about and participated in cultural burning. That experience has inspired Dianne to take those teachings to future burns and continue her work in cultural burns as a ranger trainee with Marin Water.
When asked what she enjoys most about cultural burns, she said, “The togetherness. Plans coming together, people with different experience levels coming together, everyone’s hard work coming together to bring fire back to the land … It’s a beautiful experience to be around so many people that are passionate about the work, supportive in the growth in one another, and are eager to learn.” Dolente goes on to express what is at the heart of this revitalization work: “We’re on Native land, and Indigenous people have been doing [cultural burns] for many millennia.”
Embracing the history of wildfires in California serves as a reminder of nature’s resilience and adaptability for our future. As we navigate the complexities of wildfire risk in Southern California, let us not forget the importance of working with the forces of nature, rather than against them.
By restoring the natural fire cycle, we can ensure the long-term health and resilience of California’s environment for future generations, allowing us to thrive in this dynamic and ever-changing landscape.
Amy Tims is a land steward with Rivers & Lands Conservancy and has a Bachelor of Science in conservation biology with a focus on Native American & Indigenous Studies from UC Davis.
Rivers & Lands Conservancy connects our community to natural, wild, and open spaces of Southern California through land conservation, stewardship, and education.
