Fire
Restoring fire adapted landscapes through cultural burning, prescribed fire, and collaborative stewardship that supports healthy forests and resilient wildlife.
Our Approach
We work to return beneficial fire to Northwest landscapes to support healthy ecosystems and resilient wildlife.
Fire has always been part of this region, shaped by lightning, climate patterns, and generations of Indigenous stewardship. Decades of suppression disrupted those natural rhythms and left forests more vulnerable to severe wildfire. Our mission is to support the return of good fire through cultural burning, ecological forestry, and community partnerships that rebuild habitat, reduce risk, and respect the knowledge of the Tribes who have long used fire to care for these lands.
Current Focus
Work We’re to Achieve Fire Goals
Cultural Fire
We work to expand the use of good fire across the Northwest by supporting Tribal led burning, advancing prescribed fire policy, and helping communities build the capacity needed to safely return fire to the land.
Indigenous Peoples Burning Networks are revitalizing cultural burning practices, and we help strengthen these efforts by connecting practitioners, elevating Indigenous leadership, and supporting the policy conditions that allow cultural fire to grow. As Tribal led forest management and burn programs expand, we help ensure their expertise informs state and federal planning.
Our team plays a convening role — bringing Tribes, agencies, and local partners together to align burn objectives, share knowledge, and design projects that reflect ecological science and cultural priorities.
Prescribed Fire
We help accelerate the shift from wildfire suppression to wildfire management by supporting prescribed fire legislation, community education, and cross boundary collaboration.
As agencies and landowners increasingly turn to prescribed burns to reduce fuel loads and restore habitat, we assist partners in navigating resources, regulations, and best practices. We participate in and support the growth of Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs), which connect private landowners with training, equipment, and peer networks that make safe burning possible.
Our staff engage directly with local communities and agency decision makers to shape burn plans and restoration projects that balance ecological outcomes with community needs. Through this work, we help normalize the use of good fire and build the confidence, partnerships, and on the ground capacity needed to restore fire adapted landscapes across the Northwest.
Impact & Results
A History of Fire in the Northwest
Fire has long shaped Northwest landscapes through natural processes and Indigenous stewardship. Today, collaborative partnerships, policy advancements, and cultural burning initiatives are helping restore fire as a tool for healthier forests, resilient wildlife habitat, and safer communities.
Washington Prescribed Fire Council (est. 2011)
State prescribed fire programs launched in 2021
Sʔulíp: Northeast Washington Indigenous Peoples Burning Network
Washington Prescribed Fire Council (est. 2011)
Formed in 2011 by a diverse group of stakeholders, the Washington Prescribed Fire Council has spent more than a decade reducing barriers to putting good fire on the ground. Now an independent 501(c)(3), the Council leads statewide efforts to expand access to prescribed fire and support its safe, effective use.
State prescribed fire programs launched in 2021
In 2021, both the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Fish and Wildlife established their first formal prescribed fire programs. These programs now support treatments across private lands, State Trust lands, Wildlife Areas, and National Forests, marking a major shift toward proactive fire management in Washington.
Sʔulíp: Northeast Washington Indigenous Peoples Burning Network
Sʔulíp is a newly formed Indigenous Peoples Burning Network in northeast Washington, supported by the L.I.G.H.T. Foundation. The network works to revitalize cultural burning through events, knowledge exchange, and community based relationships that strengthen Indigenous leadership in fire stewardship.
Impact & Results
Our Key Accomplishments for Fire in the Northwest
From protecting critical landscapes to advancing collaborative forest restoration, these efforts deliver lasting benefits for wildlife, habitat connectivity, and climate resilience.
Prescribed Fire Funding
Washington HB 1168
In 2021, the program helped secure passage of Washington’s HB 1168, establishing the state’s first dedicated funding account for prescribed fire and forest health treatments—removing a major barrier to restoring fire to fire adapted landscapes.
Smoke Management Reform
Washington Smoke Management Plan Updates
In 2023, the program supported updates to Washington’s Smoke Management Plan, giving practitioners greater flexibility to plan and implement prescribed burns under safe, science based conditions.
Fire Training & Capacity
TREX & Certified Burner Programs
Since 2016, the program has strengthened regional fire capacity by advancing Training Exchange (TREX) events and helping develop Washington’s Certified Burner Program, expanding the number of qualified practitioners able to lead safe, ecologically grounded burns.
Latest Fire News
The Personal and The Personnel of Public Lands
New report: State of the science on western wildfires, forests and climate change
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Additional Resources
Media & Archive Resources