More Good Fire

Fire Practitioner Training - Tehama County

Through the Healthy Forest Alliance Foundation and our Good Fire Training Network (www.good-fire-training.org), we have delivered Fire Practitioner Trainings across Butte County, Tehama County, Monterey County, and Solano County in partnership with the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts and local conservation leaders.

These trainings are designed to build operational capacity at the county level—equipping RCD staff, partners, and community practitioners with the skills needed to confidently plan and implement prescribed fire. Each location presented unique fuel types, weather patterns, and terrain, allowing participants to apply fire behavior principles across diverse California landscapes.

The curriculum blends classroom instruction with live-fire application. Participants review burn plan components, prescription development, weather interpretation, risk assessment, contingency planning, and crew organization before transitioning into field operations. During implementation, students practice firing techniques, holding assignments, hose deployment, pump operations, communications, and coordinated crew movement under structured supervision.

A consistent focus across all counties has been safety culture—reinforcing LCES, briefing protocols, situational awareness, and after-action reviews. By training within local fuel conditions, participants gain realistic experience that directly translates to projects in their home districts.

Delivering these trainings through the Good Fire Training Network ensures alignment with nationally recognized standards while maintaining a strong community-based approach. Resource Conservation Districts serve as trusted local partners for landowners, and strengthening their fire practitioner capacity directly supports wildfire resilience, ecosystem restoration, and defensible space objectives.

From the Sierra foothills to coastal grasslands and inland valleys, these county-based trainings reflect our mission: expanding the skilled workforce needed to safely put more good fire on the ground across California.