People and Fire in California: Then and Now (Focus on Fire)

This presentation will trace the history and shifts in how people view, interact with, and utilize fire in California, from Indigenous stewardship practices through the era of fire suppression and into the burgeoning movement of community-led land management using prescribed fire. Connections between changing fire regimes and the composition of landscapes and human communities are highlighted through historical frameworks and interviews conducted over the past several years with California residents on the topics of wildland fire and prescribed fire use.

Our presenter: Spencer Klinefelter is a graduate student with the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center and San Jose State University. He currently studies social dynamics around prescribed fire use across California, and how land management practices can bring communities together.