John Faggard invited the Prescribed Burn Association to conduct a pile burn on his property in Berry Creek. He was born in Oroville, spent part of his childhood in Feather Falls, and can trace his ancestry to several tribes.
After Faggard bought this property, he discovered the remains of an old village where he said local tribes would come to live during the winter. He wants to make this area a designated cultural site.
In 2020, the deadly Bear Fire, or North Complex burned down Faggard’s home. He said the fire also cleared much of the thick, overgrown vegetation on his property. Now, he lives in a duplex in Oroville while he rebuilds. He said he wants to take care of the land, and the volunteers are a blessing for helping in that goal.
Volunteers from the Butte Prescribed Burn Association gather around a smoldering pile of vegetation, cleared during the day’s work. Earlier in the day, some firelighters cooked tamales over the heat of the biochar. Some landowners and other volunteers drove dozens of miles to this remote mountain neighborhood. A videographer from the Fire and Music Project based in Trinity County captures the moment.
Wolfy Rougle, pictured watching a pile of ashes burn down, works for the Butte County Resource Conservation District. Rougle is a botanist as well as a fire practitioner.
Some Indigenous people of California set fire to the land to best care for the environment. Rougle said after the dispossession and genocide of many Indigenous communities, very few California residents today have the opportunity to really live on the land, understand their surroundings, and observe the need for cultural burning. She said she feels fortunate for opportunities like this to rekindle a connection to the environment.
The Fire and Music Project, based out of Trinity County and serving many North State communities, is in its first year. It aims to immerse California artists and musicians in the prescribed fire world. A cellist and composer from the project attended the PBA burn in Berry Creek. One musician said the goal is to shift the public’s relationship with fire from traumatic to healing.
The Bear Fire, or North Complex, killed 16 people and displaced hundreds in Berry Creek and Feather Falls. Rougle said the effects of the tragedy are felt throughout Butte County.
A volunteer patiently puts out a fire after the burn.