El Dorado Amador Prescribed Burn Association

Why Prescribed Fire?

Much of the Sierra Nevada is a fire dependent ecosystem which historically burned frequently at low intensity, but decades of fire suppression have not allowed fire to play its needed role in this ecosystem. From time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have used fire on the landscape to benefit the ecosystem. The suppression of all fire since colonization, from wildfire to cultural burning, has resulted in forests and woodlands with historically high density of trees, vegetation, and biomass. Prescribed fire is a critical tool for managing working rangelands and forests in the Sierra Nevada.

What is a Prescribed Burn Association? As California experiences worsening wildfires, Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) offer residents an opportunity to take back control by using a tool that has long served the land. The regular application of low-intensity, low-severity fire makes massively devastating wildfires far less likely to occur. Other PBAs throughout the state have demonstrated over several years of burning that utilizing prescribed fire on private lands can be a cost-effective, safe, and accessible tool for landowners to reduce wildfire hazard and meet a variety of ecological objectives. PBA members pool their resources and energy to conduct carefully planned burns under specified prescriptions to maintain productive forests and grasslands, enhance wildlife habitat, and ensure safer communities.  A PBA can offer support and education to landowners and community members to expand capacity for utilizing intentional fire. Find more information about PBAs statewide on the Cal PBA website.

El Dorado Amador Prescribed Burn Association

The El Dorado Amador Prescribed Burn Association (EAPBA) was formed in 2021 through the University of California Cooperative Extension to serve El Dorado and Amador counties.The mission of the EAPBA is to expand long-term community capacity for safe, legal, and ecologically sound prescribed fire use through collaboration with landowners, local experts, and partner organizations. Since formation, the PBA has hosted workshops, training events, and prescribed burns from 1-9 acres in size. The EAPBA welcomes volunteers who want to gain experience with prescribed fire.

Get Involved With the El Dorado Amador PBA

Joining our mailing list is the best way to stay up to date for volunteer burn events and other trainings. If you are interested in utilizing prescribed fire on your land and would like technical assistance please fill out the property information section of the sign-up form to provide more information about the property and your objectives. Signing up does not guarantee that we will be able to assist you, but we will do our best to provide support when there is capacity.

BURNING WITH THE EAPBA

PBA-supported burns will be prioritized based on participation by the landowner in previous EAPBA activities, weather and fuel conditions, and level of preparation of the burn unit.

All EAPBA burns require the following (help is available through the EAPBA):  

• Basic Burn Plan
• Prepared Unit
• Necessary Permits  
• Agency and Neighbor Outreach 

Expected costs for a landowner hosting EAPBA volunteers on a prescribed fire: 

• Beverages and food for all volunteers
• Air district permit fees (free or varies by County)
• Suggested donation to EAPBA: $50 per acre 
• Suggested donation for volunteer fire department participation: $250 per day per engine
• A burn boss hired by the landowner for higher complexity burns (cost varies)
• Fuel used during burn day (cost varies)

Equipment that the EAPBA brings to a typical prescribed burn:

• 10-hr fuel moisture sticks (placed on the property 1-2 weeks before a burn)
• Kestrel weather monitor
• Hand tools (shovels, rakes, mcleods, rogue hoes)
• 5-gallon backpack pumps
• Portable pumps, tanks, and hose setups