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Good Fire Alliance

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Smoke Alert: Santa Rosa 🔔 A 6-acre prescribed burn is planned for Wednesday, October 14* at a private property on Pythian Rd in eastern Santa Rosa. This burn is part of ongoing work to restore ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk while building resilient communities.

This is a permitted burn; please avoid calling 9-1-1 to report smoke and fire in the prescribed area.

*Plans may change depending on conditions. The best way to stay informed about prescribed burns is via the @watchdutyapp. For the latest information, open the Fern Flat Prescribed Burn report linked in our bio and turn incident notifications on.

Ignitions may begin as early as 8 a.m. There may be smoke in the air for up to 10 hours. Travelers on Sonoma Highway 12 and Pythian Road may notice smoke near Hood Mountain. Residual heat and smoke may be visible after dark and on ALERTCalifornia cameras.

Children, older adults, and those with respiratory conditions should consider limiting outdoor activities and using an air filter at home if local air quality is poor.

The burn is planned and directed by prescribed fire managers from All Hands Ecology’s Fire Forward program with support from local fire agencies and the Good Fire Alliance (@goodfirealliance), the North Bay's prescribed burn association. The crew will manage burn activities and patrol the area day and night until the unit is secure.

Learn how we're expanding the region's capacity to use prescribed fire and tend a community of skilled fire practitioners by following us at @allhandsecology and @fire.forward.

Sign up for advance emails about burns we are leading near you and ways to be smoke ready → link in bio 🔗

Seen above, Good Fire Alliance (GFA) fire practitioners ignite a community-powered prescribed burn led by Fire Forward. Since 2017, over 900 North Bay residents have gained skills with us to treat thousands of acres with prescribed fire and restore ecosystem health.

📷: Erika Lutz #allhandsecology #fireforward #goodfire #santarosas #fireresilience A fire practitioner from the Good Fire Alliance uses a drip torch to ignite a field of grass and ferns during a prescribed burn near Cazadero. taken in Santa Rosa, California by @goodfirealliance

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21 hours ago

UPDATE 10/5/26: Burn has been postponed due to conditions. No new date is set. See the Watch Duty report for new date. Smoke alert: Occidental, West Sonoma County. 🔔 A 23-acre prescribed burn is is planned on Tuesday, October 6 at Ocean Song Preserve. This burn is part of ongoing work to restore native coastal prairie, and reduce wildfire risk, while training a climate resilience workforce. LandPaths is partnering with All Hands Ecology on this burn.

This is a permitted burn; please avoid calling 9-1-1 to report smoke and fire in the prescribed area. The safety of people and property is our number one priority. LandPaths’ and partner organization’s prescribed, patch, and pile burns are carefully planned and must meet strict criteria for ecological benefit, weather parameters, smoke management, and fire safety guidelines.

Prescribed burn plans often change depending on conditions. The best way to stay informed about burns at Ocean Song is via @watchdutyapp. To receive mobile updates, including dates, details, and status, open the Ocean Song Rx report and toggle the notifications switch to the ON position.

The prescribed burn will be implemented over the course of one day, directed by prescribed fire managers from All Hands Ecology’s Fire Forward program with support from local fire agencies and organizations with the Good Fire Alliance (@goodfirealliance), the prescribed burn association serving the SF North Bay. The crew will manage the burn activities during the day and will patrol the area day and night until the units are secure.

On October 6, prescribed burn activities may begin as early as 8 a.m., and surrounding communities may see or smell smoke in the air for up to 10 hours. Ocean Song’s property includes frontage along Coleman Valley Road. Travelers in the Occidental/Freestone/Bodega area will see smoke in the air, fire on the ridge, and may experience slowing traffic. Residual heat and smoke may be visible after dark and on ALERTCalifornia cameras. by @goodfirealliance

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10 days ago

Four preserves, four ecosystems, community, and good fire. Our time to burn draws near.

This fall we’re planning prescribed burns at Martin Griffin, Cypress Grove, Bouverie, and Modini preserves. From coastal prairies and redwoods to oak woodlands, grasslands, and specialized plant communities, in each place, fire is carefully applied as a tool for ecosystem health, maintenance, and restoration.

These burns are building the people-power to do more good fire too. They are training opportunities for people to advance their skills and qualifications in prescribed fire. Building that workforce increases the North Bay’s capacity to care for the landscapes we love and create more resilient communities.

Curious about the what’s ahead for community burns planned across Sonoma and Marin? Sign up for the Good Fire Alliance Fall Burn Outlook:

🗓️ Thursday, October 1, 2026
⏰ 6–7:30 PM
📍 Zoom webinar

Register → link in bio

📷 Erika Lutz (1-4), Karyn Smoot (5) 🎵 Vraell

#allhandsecology #fireforward #goodfire #landstewardship #prescribedfireworkforce Fire practitioners from All Hands Ecology’s Fire Forward program stand in a grassy meadow by a silhouetted tree with smoke from a prescribed burn in the background. taken in North Bay Area by @goodfirealliance

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19 days ago

Calling all Bay Area fire practitioners and community firelighters! 📣🔥 Join burn planners of the Good Fire Alliance (GFA) on October 1 as we look ahead to the upcoming prescribed burns in Sonoma and Marin.

We’ll be discussing the weather forecast, seasonality for our local ecology, and hear about what types of community burns are planned in the coming months. New fire practitioners will learn what to expect as a burn participant and will have the opportunity to ask any burning questions. While this session is geared towards fire practitioners, everyone is welcome to listen and learn about prescribed burning in the North Bay.

🗓️ Thursday, October 1, 2026
⏰ 6 PM -7:30 PM
📍 Zoom webinar

Register for the GFA Fall Burn Outlook → link in bio

📸 Erika Lutz 🎵 “ムクプラ” DJ Muccu Mix (“Little Sunflower” by Freddie Hubbard / “Burnt Toast” by Rüf Dug / “Mustard Seed” by NickNack / GAGLE)

#goodfirealliance #prescribedfire #prescribedburnassociation #fireresilience Prescribed fire practitioners from the Good Fire Alliance ignite a redwood forest at a community burn in Occidental, California. taken in North Bay Area by @goodfirealliance

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a month ago

As part of our love affair with the GFA (@goodfirealliance), we’re profiling one of the community’s longstanding members, Anne Crealock.

Back in 2017, Anne had been thinking a lot about fire. At work, the former field biologist and environmental planner was grappling with developing a climate adaptation plan for the Sonoma County Water Agency. At home, she was living with her husband and two children in Bennett Valley, an area of Santa Rosa affected by the 2017 Tubbs Fire and flagged by CAL FIRE for severe wildfire risk.

“I asked myself how to steward landscapes from a water standpoint and I kept coming back to fire. We were just so deficient in trained people to help with this monumental task back then,” reflected Anne. “And then I heard about Fire Forward and their effort to democratize fire through workforce development and community trainings with the GFA. All these folks doing prescribed burns and carrying drip torches, I was floored that I could get trained too.”

Since joining the GFA, Anne has participated in many community burns and served as a steering committee member. She has taken those skills and connections back to Marin, where she now works with communities at the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (@marinwildfire).

Eight years later, the GFA has proven its endurance as a community-based network of locals who have returned good fire to over 4,000 acres across the North Bay. Today the GFA is one of the largest and most active prescribed burn associations in California with over 1,000 members, 800 of whom are fireline trained and actively participate in cooperative burns.

Learn more in “Forging a way forward with the Good Fire Alliance.”. Read the full story on our blog → link in bio 🔗

#goodfirealliance #fireforward #goodfire #prescribedfireworkforce #prescribedburnassociation taken in North Bay Area by @goodfirealliance

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2 months ago

As the Woodside Fire on the Sonoma Coast reminds us of our relationship with wildfire, we’re reflecting on the origin story of the GFA (@goodfirealliance).

Formed in the aftermath of the devastating 2017 fires, the emerging GFA community came together during the 2020 Walbridge Fire to support another moment of crisis. The local residents, trained in prescribed fire, were hired by Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District to serve as a hand crew on the Walbridge Fire. The unprecedented moment served as an inflection point for the emerging community of fire practitioners, building a foundation of trust between agencies and the GFA as a skilled workforce, and sparking a new degree of cohesion that made way for the wave of good fire in the years that followed.

Seen above are photos from the Walbridge Fire in 2020 and a map of community-based broadcast burns between 2024–2026 in Sonoma County. Read the full story in “Forging a way forward with the Good Fire Alliance” on our blog → link in bio 🔗

📸 Walbridge Fire photos courtesy of Garrett Gradillas, Sasha Berleman, and Michael Garrett
🗺️ Map data sources: Watch Duty, CAL FIRE, and burns logged in the CA Community-Based Beneficial Fire Dashboard by @allhandsecology, @landpaths, @pepperwoodpreserveca, @sonomalandtrust, @sonomacountyparks, and @weathering.school. Base map and pins by @watchdutyapp
🎵 Teardrop, Massive Attack

#walbridgefire #loveisaverb #goodfirealliance #sonomastrong #fireresilience Two fire practitioners covered in char smile in front of a scorched mountain range in Guerneville, CA. Text overlay: “Wildfire & the GFA” taken in Sonoma County by @goodfirealliance

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2 months ago

It’s not a barbeque, but it sure feels like one. A day of community burning to restore beneficial fire has a way of welcoming people and providing meaningful points of connection. By the end of the day, fire practitioners return home smelling like the sun and like camp, filled with life and a sense of renewed kinship. This is the Good Fire Alliance (GFA).

Born from the ashes of the 2017 North Bay firestorm, the GFA is a grassroots network of residents from all walks of life showing up to meet the moment for getting good fire on the ground. From pile burns to broadcast burns, this work is restoring ecological health and reducing wildfire risk. Along the way, the GFA is rebuilding our relationship with fire in our region amidst a changing climate.

Curious how community-led burning got started in the North Bay and how it’s reshaping resilience in our region? Read the story on our blog → link in bio 🔗

Seen above, @goodfirealliance members during prescribed burns to restore wildfire-affected landscapes in Sonoma County. Photo credit: Erika Lutz.

#goodfire #prescribedburnassociation #fireresilience Prescribed fire practitioners covered in soot laugh after a prescribed burn taken in Sonoma County by @goodfirealliance

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3 months ago

Scenes from the Triangle G RX burn that took place a couple weeks ago on Sonoma Mountain.

The goal of this burn was to reduce yellow star thistle on the property, as well as to decrease grass thatch.

Thank you so much @fire.forward for having me!

NOTE: All drone footage captured in coordination with Fire Forward and CAL FIRE leadership on site. Never fly a drone over an active wildfire. taken in Sonoma Mountain by @goodfirealliance

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3 months ago

Congratulations to the 83 fire practitioners from the Good Fire Alliance who are now refreshed as NWCG Firefighter Type 2! Community members from 37 local organizations dedicated last Saturday to preparing for the next year of returning good fire to North Bay landscapes.

This year we celebrated passing the organizing & hosting torch to the GFA as organizers of RT-130, held at Alliance Redwoods in Occidental. Nestled beneath Sonoma Redwoods, this year’s training focused on lessons learned within the community last year, brought to life with field presentations and discussions facilitated by GFA members. Topics covered included local weather forecasts by Nina Oakly, a fire effects and monitoring play-by-play from the Triangle G prescribed burn by Ben Hatchett, smoke exposure and health by Adam Sawicky, lessons learned by Steve Pye, and fireline leadership and communication by Roxy Layden.

Field stations to practice emergency shelter deployments, radio etiquette, and community visioning were led by AJ Terrant, Ben Grove, Brian Peterson, Devyn Friedfel, Jen Stanfield, Julia Berkey, Len Mazur, Miles Sarvis-Wilburn, Monica Delmartini, Paul Sokoloski, and Tom Tolliver. An extra special thanks to organizer Darrell Brooker and Garrett Gradillas for supporting this joy-filled reunion.

Ready to continue your growth in prescribed fire? Check out our trainings page and join the Good Fire Alliance listserv to be the first to find out about trainings and upcoming burns (links in bio).

We’ll see you out there on the fireline, fire fam 🔥

Photos by Garrett Gradillas (1) and Erika Lutz (2-11)

#goodfirealliance #fireforward #firefamily #prescribedfireworkforce #communityburning taken in Occidental, California by @goodfirealliance

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7 months ago

Introducing some fresh faces of good fire — say hello to the Firelighter Class of 2026! 🔥

We’re thrilled to see 43 new prescribed fire practitioners who are now federally qualified as Fire Fighter Type 2 (FFT2) through the National Wildland Coordinating Group (NWCG) after completing our Basic Wildland Firefighter training at Bouverie Preserve. Their dedication to advancing their skills and qualifications benefits the entire North Bay by increasing regional capacity to steward beloved landscapes and create resilient communities with good fire.

We offer this course to the public to train new practitioners in entry-level skills that support local prescribed burning efforts, weaving skills that satisfy NWCG standards while introducing the culture and practices of the Good Fire Alliance (@goodfirealliance), North Bay’s prescribed burn association. The day was geared towards providing new practitioners with the foundational skills needed to participate in burns that require a FFT2 qualification. Skills learned included ignitions, firing operations, pumps and hose lays, weather monitoring, communication and radio etiquette, local fire ecology, safety and PPE, and so much more.

Since we first offered this course in 2019, over 700 people have trained in a NWCG course and participated in hands-on burning with us. Others have brought their skills elsewhere, creating an ever-growing community of fire practitioners throughout northern California. A huge thanks to this year’s instructor cadre, Len Mazur (@sonomacountyparks), Taj Katuna (@eastbayregionalparks), Mariana Zavala (@northbayjwj), Alfredo Campos (@yosemitefire), Karyn Smooth, Cal Howell, Adam Sawicky, Chase Whitener, Michael Garrett, Brian Peterson, and organizer Garrett Gradillas.

📣 Returning fire practitioners, keep an eye on your email for details about RT-130 on March 7. This year’s annual refresher is organized by the Good Fire Alliance. We’ll see you there!

Photos by Andrea Dunlap (3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12), Erika Lutz (4, 7, 9), and Garrett Gradillas (1-2, 6)

#allhandsecology #fireforward #goodfirealliance #prescribedfireworkforce #allhandsalllands taken in Bouverie Preserve by @goodfirealliance

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8 months ago

Thank you to the dozens of volunteers who came out for LandPaths’ free patch burning training on Saturday at Bohemia Ecological Preserve! In partnership with the @goodfirealliance, and led by senior stewardship specialist Miles Sarvis-Wilburn, the training acted as an introduction to the benefits of patch burning in Sonoma County grasslands. To learn more about these benefits and how you can volunteer with our good fire program, go to the link in bio!

Located on the the ancestral homelands of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, Bohemia Ecological Preserve is home to a stunning diversity of flora and fauna, including native coastal prairie and large stands of Baker’s Manzanita. #sonomacounty #landpaths #bohemiaecologicalpreserve #goodfire #grasslands by @goodfirealliance

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9 months ago

Counting down our favorite moments of 2025. To the many hearts, hands, and beautiful minds who shared time with us, thank you for an incredible year of good fire.

More of this in 2026, yeah? We’ll see you on the other side. 🔥✨

Videos by Erika Lutz and Michael Garrett

#allhandsecology #fireforward #goodfire #landstewardship #firefamily taken in North Bay Area by @goodfirealliance

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9 months ago