Author: Robyn Broyles
Pacific Region - The 4 Rights Campaign is about using prescribed fire being at the Right Time, by the Right People, in the Right Place, as the Right Choice.
This scalable communications campaign, developed by Charles Jachens, Soledad Holguin and Jimmy Nanamkin of the Pacific Region, is being used to teach basic fire management principles to children, adults, private citizens, land managers and other fire practitioner how Native Americans have used fire for generations and how traditional resource management ties into prescribed fire today.
First integrated as a teaching tool at the California State Fair, Camp Smokey and the Little Red School House are now using it. What are the 4 Rights?
Right Time – Speaks to the important temporal considerations for prescribed fire, including time of year, current and expected weather and time of day. When these conditions align appropriately, fire managers have the opportunity to conduct a successful prescribed burn. Right Place - Many of the areas we now call the wildland-urban interface (WUI) is actually fire-dependent ecosystems where people live. While managers are reintroducing fire to restore landscapes, it can’t happen in all places at once due to this nature meets human environment. That is why place-based factors such a fuel type and density, topography and fuel breaks are important considerations fire managers take into account before conducting a prescribed burn. Right People - Multigenerational burning is an important way to ensure cultural practices and techniques persist. Family burning done with knowledgeable adults to provide the supervision is a good practice. Involving local youth helps instill a sense of place and responsibility in the future residential population. Right Choice – Our number one priority is protecting public and firefighter safety. To do that, all managers must learn to balance the benefits of using fire with the risks associated with it. Making the right choices for the right reasons is part of what fire leadership and fire management is about.
The 4-Rights Campaign is deep in scope and just beginning to be used across California to help their public understand the complexities of managing wildfire. If you would like to learn more about the 4 Rights Campaign, visit: http://fireadaptednetwork.org/4-rights-campaign-prescribed-fire-right-4… or contact Soledad Holguin or Jimmy Nanamkin of the Pacific Region.
For Immediate Release: October 1, 2016
