SB 1101 aims to mitigate wildfire damage by streamlining the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE) contracting and procurement process for beneficial fire, which combines prescribed burning, cultural fire practices, and natural fire management. Beneficial fire will cut back potential fire fuels and restore the health of our forests and grasslands.
Indigenous communities have used beneficial fire practices for decades to create healthy forests and grasslands that lessen the risk of wildfire destruction. As the climate crisis continues to intensify extreme weather events like wildfires, we must put safeguards like beneficial fire in place to protect vulnerable communities. SB 1101 will allow for collaboration between state agencies, and federal, tribal, and local leaders to prevent catastrophic wildfires.