Home > Forest Fires

Fires are a part of the forest ecosystem. Plants and animals have evolved in the presence of fires and foresters know that fires will always play a large role in the management of forestlands.

On public land, however, decades of fire suppression and “hands-off” management policies have resulted in unnaturally dense forests, which are prone to catastrophic wildfires. These crowded forests contribute to fires that race through the crowns of the trees making them nearly impossible to fight, worsen the soil due to the higher than normal heat intensity, and unnecessarily put human lives, animal habitats and water quality at risk.

At SPI, we use modern forest management techniques to reduce the risk of wildfire without damaging the health of the forest. The key to effective fire prevention is removal of dry brush and careful thinning of overgrown forests.

Wildfires emit tremendous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  For example, noted fire ecologist Dr. Thomas Bonnickson calculated that the Angora Fire, which charred 3,100 acres near South Lake Tahoe in 2007, caused an estimated 190,000 tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to be released into the atmosphere. The decay of trees killed by the fire could bring total emissions to 794,000 tons, putting the fire’s impact on global warming at the equivalent of driving 143,000 cars for a year.

Dr. Bonnickson estimates that the Moonlight Fire, which burned near Quincy, California, spewed out five million tons of greenhouse gases.  On top of that, the fire will create long-term forest decay reaching14.6 million tons of carbon dioxide.

We prepare ahead of time so our response to wildfire can be swift and effective:

• Sierra Pacific makes a special effort to give our forests defensible fire space. Our foresters intentionally thin out the forest in strategic spots to help stop wildfires. Typically, these spots are along ridges, near towns, and along major roads — areas where firefighters can make a stand against a raging wildfire. These thinned areas usually have some trees, so foresters call them "shaded fuel breaks."
• Regular maintenance of our forests minimizes the risk of fire. SPI prunes low branches and limbs to reduce "fuel ladders" that quickly spread blazes to the crowns of trees. Heavy underbrush that often fuels fires is reduced by chipping and removing the matter or by scattering it to avoid large concentrations.
• SPI actively works with our neighbors, conservation agencies, and fire fighters to make fire awareness a community issue. We curtail our woods operations on high fire danger days. We train all of our woods workers in the use of fire fighting equipment. And we fund and maintain a private road system that is mapped and accessible for fire fighting agencies.
• After a fire, SPI quickly moves in to restore the forest and prevent environmental degradation. SPI analyzes the fire site to determine impact on soil erosion, water quality, and plant and wildlife habitat. Then, professional foresters develop and implement a plan to replant the forest and restore environmental balance.
• SPI maintains an extensive "seed bank" that stores seeds collected from the conifers growing on Sierra Pacific lands. After a major fire, we use these seeds to replant the burned area with trees native to the site.