August is peak wildfire season along the Klamath River. But on some evenings this summer, fire practitioners aren't putting out fires. They're intentionally lighting them.
The Mid Klamath Watershed Council and its partners have been conducting small prescribed burns near homes and roads, taking advantage of short stretches of weather when they say fire can be safely controlled.
Will Harling, restoration director and a burn boss with the watershed council, said the key is what happens as a hot summer day ends. Relative humidity rises, temperatures fall and winds often die down, creating opportunities to burn targeted areas.
That allows crews to remove vegetation now that could feed a wildfire later.
"These are the burns that are going to save a home in a wind-driven wildfire," Harling said.
The strategy is part of the region's All Hands All Lands program, which looks for opportunities to conduct prescribed burns throughout the year rather than limiting the work to traditional burn seasons.
The program also works with residents to reduce vegetation on private property, including helping older residents and others who cannot do the physical work themselves.
Kathy McCovey, a Karuk Tribal member and co-executive director of the Mid Klamath Watershed Council, said that community involvement is a critical part of the work.
"What I saw missing was public participation, the power of the people, community involvement," McCovey said.
The summer burns aren't only intended to protect homes. They're also part of a broader effort to restore fire to landscapes where it was historically more common.
In some areas, crews remove Douglas firs that have encroached on oak woodlands before burning. McCovey said that can allow culturally important native plants to return.
"When those are cleared out and we burn the area, our plants come back," McCovey said.
Guests
- Kathy McCovey, co-executive director, Mid Klamath Watershed Council
- Will Harling, restoration director, Mid Klamath Watershed Council
