Beginning in April, a hands-on prescribed fire training exchange (TREX) will take place in Greenville, one of the communities destroyed by the massive Dixie Fire in 2021.
It’s the fifth year that community organizations and government agencies in the county have come together to hold the Plumas Cal-TREX.
Julia Sidman, the acting public information officer for the event, said it will be held for six straight days.
“We're excited about the week-long event because it kind of gives an opportunity for the group to get to know each other a little bit better,” Sidman said.
Many TREX participants go on to receive certificates that further their careers in prescribed fire, she said. This year’s longer Plumas Cal-TREX could forge connections within the group that would further help participants. They'll learn hard and soft skills needed to conduct prescribed burns specifically in Plumas County.
Logan Krahenbuhl, program director for the Plumas Underburn Cooperative, one of the hosts of the TREX, said anyone can learn to use prescribed fire with adequate training and mindful action. He said he hopes the event will bring more good fire to an area that needs it.
“Essentially we’re hoping to put fire on the ground in places that … haven't had high-severity wildfire,” Krahenbuhl said, “in order to prevent smaller communities from being essentially destroyed.”
Weather permitting, participants at the TREX can help restore fire to the area and learn the skills they need to do it again.
There is a $175 fee for attendance, though full and partial scholarships are available.
Sidman said she welcomes applications from all over the North State, but especially from residents of Plumas County. Native fire practitioners are especially encouraged to apply. Sidman said she found past efforts at including indigenous leadership to be lacking and hopes to find a local tribal liaison for the event soon.
U.S. Forest Service data show the likelihood of catastrophic wildfire in Plumas County in any given year is higher here than in 98% of the United States.
That’s thanks, in part, to more than a century of fire suppression.
Applications for the Plumas Cal-TREX close on March 1.
