Prescribed Burns Are The Way For California To Avoid Huge Fires

California finds itself in an all-too-familiar inferno, with devastating fires in Los Angeles County crying out for reevaluation of fuel and forest management policies as well as other fire mitigation measures. While modern firefighting techniques have improved significantly, they cannot counteract the years of accumulated fuel, overly dense forests, and dense urban development near areas with heavy fuel loads that combine to make wildfires more catastrophic. The solution, as many fire experts argue, lies in a simple, time-tested practice: prescribed burns.

But in California, the gap between theory and practice remains vast, owing to political, regulatory, legal, and public relations challenges.

Recent Fires and the Rising Threat

Despite decades of warnings, Los Angeles County experiences devastating wildfires with regular frequency. 2025’s wind-driven fires exposes vulnerabilities in the region’s preparedness and response systems. These fires demonstrate how dense vegetation, combined with California’s Mediterranean climate and high winds, creates the perfect storm for wildfire outbreaks. While firefighters deserve credit for their valiant efforts, the scale of these blazes often outstrips suppression capacity.

Prescribed burns, or controlled fires, offer a proactive approach to reducing wildfire risks by methodically eliminating excess vegetation, or “fuel,” under carefully monitored conditions. Yet, despite their proven efficacy, prescribed burns remain woefully underused in Los Angeles County and much of California.

The Underuse of Prescribed Burns in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Fire Department has conducted only a handful of prescribed burns in recent years. For example, a small-scale burn in Spinks Canyon in March 2024 focused on clearing brush in the Bradbury-Duarte area. This effort, though modest, demonstrated the effectiveness of such interventions in reducing fire risks. Similarly, prescribed burns in the Angeles National Forest in 2021 targeted overgrown areas to mitigate potential wildfire threats. However, these examples are the exception rather than the rule.

As of 2019, Los Angeles County had not conducted a prescribed burn in more than a decade, largely due to legal and bureaucratic obstacles. A proposed 400-acre burn in Malibu in 2019 was shelved after public opposition, reflecting a broader trend of community resistance driven by concerns over unhealthy smoke and potential uncontrolled fires. Despite these concerns, the alternative — uncontrolled wildfires — poses far greater risks to public health and safety.

Regulatory and Legal Hurdles

Conducting prescribed burns in California involves navigating a labyrinth of regulations. Practitioners must secure multiple permits, including burn permits from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection or the U.S. Forest Service, as well as smoke management plans approved by local air districts. These requirements are further compounded by environmental reviews mandated under the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act. While these reviews aim to protect ecosystems and public health, they often delay prescribed burn projects for years, rendering them impractical.

Legal challenges have also hindered progress. In 2007, the Sierra Club successfully sued the U.S. Forest Service to prevent the creation of categorical exclusions under NEPA for prescribed burns. This ruling required full environmental impact statements for such activities, which can take years to complete. More recently, lawsuits from groups such as the Center for Biological Diversity have targeted fuel reduction plans, arguing they could harm endangered species or ecosystems. While they may be well-intentioned, these lawsuits ignore the fact that uncontrolled wildfires cause far more extensive and lasting ecological damage and harm to health.

Cultural Resistance and Misconceptions

Public perception remains another major barrier. Many communities equate prescribed burns with the devastating wildfires they aim to prevent, fearing that these controlled fires could spiral out of control. This misunderstanding overlooks the rigorous planning and oversight involved in prescribed burns, including the use of “burn bosses” — certified professionals who ensure that conditions are optimal and safety measures are in place.

Environmental groups have also opposed prescribed burns, citing concerns over carbon emissions and potential harm to wildlife and plants. However, studies show that the benefits of prescribed burns far outweigh their short-term drawbacks. By reducing fuel loads, these burns decrease the intensity and frequency of wildfires, leading to less pollution and healthier ecosystems.

Success Stories and the Path Forward

States like Florida and Georgia provide compelling examples of how prescribed burns can be effectively integrated into wildfire management. These states conduct thousands of burns annually, maintaining ecosystems and minimizing wildfire risks. California could adopt similar practices by streamlining its permitting process, increasing funding for prescribed burn programs, and expanding training programs for burn bosses.

Recent legislative efforts offer some hope. Senate Bill 332, passed in 2021, reduced liability for prescribed fire practitioners, encouraging more organizations to engage in this practice. Additionally, initiatives like the Los Angeles Prescribed Burn Association aim to promote community involvement and education, helping to shift public perception.

A Call to Action

The current fire crisis in Los Angeles County is a stark reminder of the consequences of inaction. While prescribed burns aren’t the entirety of the solution, they represent a critical tool in the fight against catastrophic wildfires. In addition, shifting funds from California’s aggressive effort to decarbonize by building costly solar and wind power to instead fund power line maintenance and even burial of power lines in urban areas would mitigate a constant source of ignition.

But these actions have been known about and talked about for years with the problem only getting worse. California’s all-powerful administrative state is akin to a once-sleek ship gradually being covered with so many barnacles that it can now barely move. And instead of taking responsibility and boldly fixing known problems, left-wing politicians point their fingers at “climate change” as if it’s an all-purpose excuse to absolve them of the disasters of their own making.