“I have the coolest job ever.” After being impacted by the Tubbs Fire, Caitlin Grace found her way to CAL FIRE with a desire to help bring beneficial fire back to the landscape. Today, as a Forestry Assistant II at CAL FIRE’s Jackson Demonstration State Forest, she gets to combine that passion with her love of research, from studying salamanders and mushrooms to better understanding the forests we work to protect.

What helps a giant sequoia survive wildfire? Researchers from @unevadareno looked to CAL FIRE’s Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest in Tulare County for answers. Following the 2020 Castle Fire, researchers studied giant sequoias across areas that had experienced different forest management treatments, including fuel reduction and prescribed fire. Their findings offer important insight into how these treatments may influence wildfire impacts and help some of the world’s largest and oldest trees survive. The research is helping build a better understanding of how forest management and prescribed fire can play a role in protecting giant sequoias and creating more resilient forests. 📰 Read the news story: mynews4.com/news/local/presc… 🔎 Read the full research report: sciencedirect.com/science/ar… @CALFIRE_TUU