Marin County Parks On June 23, Marin County Fire and Marin County Parks completed the first prescribed burn in County open space in over a decade. Eighteen acres of rolling grassland was burned, at Roy’s Redwoods, on the north slopes above Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. For thousands of years, indigenous people used controlled fire to care for California grasslands. As indigenous communities were forcibly removed, their burning practices fell out of favor. Throughout the past century, fire was largely suppressed. The burn at Roy’s Redwoods marked a return to prescribed fire, an important tool in controlling invasive plants, improving native habitat, and reducing the risk of wildfire.
Parks’ natural resources staff will continue monitoring the burn site as it recovers. They are watching for native bunchgrasses, wildflowers, pollinators, and changes in the landscape. This includes tracking the recovery of trees. (Species like coast live oak are well adapted to fire.) Wildlife cameras will track animals moving through the area. One Tam will join in, by doing a bee survey. Parks’ Early Detection, Rapid Response team will identify and remove high risk invasives, like Medusahead, giving native plants the opportunity to grow.
In the first few days following the burn, black phoebe flycatcher birds were seen in the area. This species was undetected during pre-burn surveys. Rattlesnake and hawk preda- tors were photographed, moving through the new, open hunting grounds. After just eleven days, purple needlegrass (the California state grass) was documented sprouting vigorously from well-established, fire-friendly, perennial roots. In addition to fire fuel management, prescribed fire offers many ecological benefits. This includes nutrient cycling, fire-adapted species regeneration, maintaining biodiver- sity, controlling pests, and diminishing plant diseases. Parks will continue partnering with Marin County Fire and regional fire agencies to identify priority locations for future burns. As we all adapt to living with wildfire, it’s good to have prescribed fire as another tool in the toolkit.
Today’s prescribed burns require substantial planning and preparation. This includes identifying priority areas, developing complex plans, safely conducting the burn, and monitoring the post-burn landscape. For the Roy’s Redwoods burn, Marin County Fire and Marin County Parks worked closely together. Fire led the burn logistics. Parks provided expertise in natural resources and fire ecology. Native California grasslands are biodiversity hotspots. Unfortunately, ninety-nine per- cent of these native grasslands have been lost to development or agriculture. By clear- ing an area of invasive plants, this burn could encourage the return of native bunch grasses and other natives. Medusahead grass is particularly problematic. Because it contains high levels of silica, it is unpalatable as animal forage. It dries into a mat of highly flammable thatch. On the morning of the burn, more than 70 firefighters and Parks staff gathered at the site. Equipment included fire engines, a dozer, water tank, and a system of hoses. After confirming the conditions were safe, a Fire Department “burn boss” activated the crew. A small test fire burned. Then the fire line used drip torches to carefully place fire on the ground, according to the burn plan. The crew burned areas in patterns designed to calm and buffer the fire. This ensured the fire would creep slowly down the hill and to the west. The crew adjusted the patterns as needed. They adapted to changes in wind, slope, and topography to push fire toward already burned areas. A drone camera flew above. After 2 hours, the site had transitioned from dry grassland to a post-burn, “fire- restored” landscape. The Bay Area Air District reported that the smoke had dispersed, with little impact on air quality. The fire crew remained on site to extinguish final embers until cool, damp conditions returned in the evening.
Read One Tam’s Prescribed Burns in Marin FAQ at: onetam.org/faqs-prescribed-burns-marin
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