Here's how a cooler June has helped Cal Fire better prepare for fire season

GARDEN VALLEY — It was a cool first day of summer, but Cal Fire geared up for the heat that will inevitably come by conducting a 140-acre prescribed burn in El Dorado County on Wednesday.

Just last year, the Mosquito Fire scorched over 76,000 acres in Placer and El Dorado Counties, so locals told CBS 13 that seeing Cal Fire crews conducting prescribed burns gave them peace of mind. 

"It is always scary when there are wildfires around," said Tyler Wiese who lives in El Dorado Hills. 

The terrain crews were working in the Garden Valley area on Wednesday is what's known as a grass oak woodland area. Cal Fire calls the grasses light, flashy fuels. The slope, wind and fuel make for a fast-moving fire. 

"It is really important that they get this training now before it gets completely going," said Battalion Chief Mark Brunton with Cal Fire El Dorado-Amador. 

So what makes for a good burn day? The agency said it has to do with the air quality and the ability for that smoke to dissipate.

Cal Fire is also now making it easier for people who are not state or federal agencies to do their own burns, protecting them against liability for damages. 

"It does not necessarily mean that the fire escaped its area. It just means if the fire caused damages," said Len Nielson, the staff chief of Prescribed Fire and Environmental Protection.

For example, it could be a prescribed fire burning down a fence. If the damages are more than $5,000, then a damage claim can be filed. 

The State of California allocated $20 million for the Prescribed Fire Liability Claims Fund Pilot that will cover losses in these burns. California Senator Bill Dodd authored the 2022 bill (Senate Bill 926) that made this fund possible. 

The fund is the first of its kind nationally and will provide up to $2 million in coverage for prescribed fire projects led by a qualified burn boss or cultural practitioner. 

"The fund is meant to demonstrate that prescribed fire, when carefully planned, resourced, and implemented, is a low-risk land management tool that mitigates the larger, more damaging risks of high-severity wildfires," Cal Fire said in a statement. 

You can submit an application for the Prescribed Fire Liability Claims Fund Pilot Program and find more information here.

"Firing operations definitely carry a lot of risk, but it is a critical tool we utilize," said Battalion Chief Michael Boyce.

A cooler June is allowing more time to prepare for the fires ahead. 

"It is great for them to get the practice in and get them ready for the season," said Wiese. 

Some buildings in El Dorado County are still stained with retardant from recent fires. It was a scary moment for locals who told CBS13 they are thankful for the work Cal Fire did to protect their communities then and do for the future.

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