Prescribed Burn Associations: Managing Your Property with Fire
Tuolumne County is one of 29 counties in California with a Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) (1). Prescribed burns are permitted burns for “good fire” – fire planned for a desired result – on private landowners’ property. These practices use fire to manage land in a healthy way: burning from the ground up, clearing old grass growth, and burning brush piles.
Traditional fire management techniques, including fire drip methods to draw fire lines and water packs to keep fire down and under control, are employed. At burn sites, fire managers keep track of humidity levels, wind direction, and air temperature before starting a fire. They file a burn plan before applying for a burn permit.
Before starting a prescribed burn, landowners need to review their property needs. What needs to burn? What depth? What type of fire? Fire managers should gather their volunteers, prepare the land for fire, and assign roles to the volunteers, including team leads and fire/water management. All team members need to keep an eye out for fire movement, wind, and inclement weather.
Take Action
- Join your local PBA to find training opportunities and participate in prescribed burns with community members. See the Tuolumne County PBA’s
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/666418822997251 and
Email: goodfire@tuolumnepba.org. - Tuolumne County landowners can obtain a permit for burns under two acres online at https://burnpermit.fire.ca.gov/.
- Attend this workshop:
UCANR CALIFORNIA FOREST STEWARDSHIP WORKSHOP
Online: April 22 – June 17, 2026 | In-Person Field Day: Saturday, May 16 (Mendocino County)
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources is offering a comprehensive Forest Stewardship Workshop for California forest landowners and managers. The hybrid course covers forest health, fire and wildlife ecology, fuels reduction, silviculture, mapping, permitting, and cost-share opportunities among other topics. Weekly Zoom sessions run Wednesdays from 6:00–7:30 PM, and the in-person field day will focus on silviculture and forest inventory.
Participants who complete the workshop are eligible for a free site visit with a California Registered Professional Forester, Certified Burn Boss, or Certified Range Manager. Register here.
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