In Region 5 Record Breaking RX Fire Season, Stanislaus National Forest Contributes More Than 10 Percent of Total Acres

Release Date: Jun 25, 2024

Benjamin Cossel, Public Affairs Officer, Stanislaus National Forest

O: 209.288.6261 | M: 209.916.5919 |Benjamin.cossel@usda.gov

In Region 5 Record Breaking RX Fire Season, Stanislaus National Forest Contributes More Than 10 Percent of Total Acres

SONORA, California, June 25, 2024— Since the beginning of the Fiscal Year (October 2023) the U.S. Forest Service has treated 63,878 acres with prescribed fire on national forests across California. The previous record of 63,711 was set in 2018. Locally, the Stanislaus National Forest accomplished 7,004 acres contributing more than ten percent to region’s total acreage number.

“We’re fully committed to increasing the scope and pace of our hazardous fuels treatment work in California, and it shows,” said Pacific Southwest Region Fire Director Jaime Gamboa. “Restoring natural fire to these ecosystems not only helps mitigate threats to communities but also increases forest health overall.”

“These numbers, more than 7,000 acres, is amazing,” said Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken. “And is an absolute testament to the hard work and dedication of the incredible individuals that come to work every day on our forest. This was a whole forest effort, and I am so proud of the work accomplished.”

All native vegetation types in California have adaptations to wildfire as a natural disturbance. For many forests, fire is a necessary component to ecosystem health. The elimination of fire from these systems often leads to overcrowded, unhealthy forests. Trees are stressed, fire-dependent species disappear, and vegetation builds up — contributing to unnaturally high severity fires.

Planning for prescribed fire is an in-depth process including assessment of vegetation (fuel) type, elevation, location and proximity to communities, area use, past fuel treatments, past fire return interval (how often fire would naturally occur on a landscape), and more.

The decision to implement a planned prescribed fire is based on thoughtful analysis of current environmental and operational conditions — including temperature, humidity, wind, vegetation moisture, and smoke dispersal conditions. Availability of primary and contingency resources are also considered.

For more information please contact Forest Public Affairs Officer, Benjamin Cossel at Benjamin.cossel@usda.gov or 209.288.6261.