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Behind the Scenes of Prescribed Fires
Learn More about Our Prescribed Fire Program
Fire is a part of California. Since time immemorial, low intensity fires have been used to maintain ecosystems, reduce fuel loads, and encourage growth of beneficial and native species. This video series takes you into the highcountry of the park where for thousands of years the grasslands had been treated with fire by Native Americans.
After upto a year of planning, our prescibed fires are done in autumn when conditions allow. These are conducted in partnership with crews from the Six Rivers National Forest, CalFire, and Redwood National Park.
National Park Service crews across the nation have used prescribed fire as a management tool since the early 1960s. These frequent and low intensity fires reduce the chance and severity of wildfires. Annually in the USA, hundreds of prescribed fires are sucessfully completed with little or no media attention.
"Coyote Creek Unit" - 2022
On October 4th, 2022 we conducted a prescribed burn of about 850-acres in the Bald Hills. This large area of grasslands and encroaching trees was treated as part of ongoing meadow habitat restoration. In these three episodes, hear from different fire managers and crew leaders about how and why these fires are conducted.
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Join Fire Ecologist Emma McClure as she talks about her role with fire in (and beyond) Redwood National Park.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 27 seconds
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Join National Park Service Regional Fire Planner Eamon Engber as he explains how fire crews strategically burn and create safe boundaries on a large prescribed fire in the Bald Hills of Redwood National Park.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 50 seconds
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Join Fire Program Manager Rick Young, as he explains the importance of partnerships in how the Park conducts prescribed fires in the Bald Hills of Redwood National Park.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 31 seconds
"Wooden Gate Unit" - 2018
This 212-acre prescribed fire was conducted on November 7th, 2018 in the Bald Hills.
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The duration of this three-hour prescribed fire is shown in 25-seconds. Watch how fire crews light and keep the fire within the boundaries of the intended burn. [No audio]
- Duration:
- 25 seconds
"Lower Airstrip Unit" - 2018
On November 1st, 2018 about 250-acres of grasslands and encroaching trees were burnt as part of meadow habitat restoration. In these three episodes, discover how and why we do this kind of prescibed fire in the Bald Hills.
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The fire's "Burn Boss" talks about the role of fire in the parks' meadow habitats.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 39 seconds
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Two inter-agency fire managers talk about the science, teamwork, and operations involved in a prescribed fire in the park.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 3 seconds
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A US Forest Service / National Park Service fire-manager talks about his job.
- Duration:
- 44 seconds
"Manez Unit" - 2017
These two episodes take you into a 200-acre prescribed fire in the Bald Hills which was conducted on October 31st, 2017. Conditions allowed for more than just the grassland to be burnt - stands of conifers received some overdue treatment.
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Be on scene with a fire technician as he chats about the role of fire in an area that needs burning to keep grasslands open and healthy.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 33 seconds
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See first-hand and hear from a fire ecologist about the role of creeping fire in a mixed-conifer forest.
- Duration:
- 59 seconds
"School-House Unit" - 2016
This 300-acre prescribed fire was conducted in the Bald Hills on September 30th, 2016. There are ten episodes that put you in the boots of different people - from the start to the end of the operation.
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After weeks of planning and preparation, the weather forecast looks good. The morning briefing tells the fire crews what the objectives are of the "School House Unit" prescribed fire.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 25 seconds
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The first minutes of the School House Unit prescribed fire in the Bald Hills of Redwood National Park. This occurs after a small test burn has been competed, and only when the temperature, humidity, wind direction and fuel moisture are within strict parameters. (No audio except the sound of crackling flames and brief radio transmissions)
- Duration:
- 3 minutes, 40 seconds
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Using a "drip-torch", fire crews begin to burn the edges of the planned boundary of the School House Unit. Here they are using a dirt road as an anchor-point and safety zone. (There is no audio except the sound of crackling flames and muffled chatter of fire crews)
- Duration:
- 3 minutes, 33 seconds
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Watch how the fire-crews burn off down-slope strips of grass. Piece by piece, they burn the grass an interior corner of a road. (No spoken word- only the sounds of crackling fire).
In real-time, this took over 7-minutes.
- Duration:
- 54 seconds
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Experience the sights and sounds of using a drip torch from the perspective of the Six Rivers National Forest hand-crews. ( No spoken words, only the sounds of crackling flames)
- Duration:
- 3 minutes, 52 seconds
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On the School House Unit, once the perimeter is safe and burnt, fire crews then bring fire to the interior. Depending on conditions, they may "drag a line" of fire, or "put down dots" of fire. (No narration, only sounds of crackling flames)
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 13 seconds
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See how fire burns slower and with less intensity when it moves down a slope. This fact is used by fire crews to their advantage on prescribed fire operations. (There is no narration and only sounds of crackling flames)
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 25 seconds
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The area where the fire has been is called "the black". On this prescribed fire, the grasses are light fuels and they burned quickly. A simple investigation shows that their roots are still green and alive. Many nutrients have been returned to the soil, and the wildflowers next spring will be plentiful. (No narration and the only audio is sounds of crackling flame)
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 14 seconds
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See how the last corner gets burnt by fire coming from two directions with two different crews. As expected, smoke is being drawn up into the fire's interior - and not over the road.
In real-time this took about 8-minutes.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 10 seconds
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In less than two minutes you can see almost five hours of this prescribed burn. Schoolhouse Fire Tower sits on the top of the distant hill. (No narration and the only sounds are of crackling flames)
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 31 seconds
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