CalFire Lassen-Modoc Unit stated that a 20 year long project in the Sierra Nevada has found that routinely using prescribed fire helps forests keep more carbon locked in their largest, most fire-resilient trees while also lowering the risk of severe wildfire.
Highlights from the (tag) UC Berkeley research:
Regular burning preserves mature, fire-adapted trees and clears out smaller vegetation that can act as “ladder fuels” during intense wildfires. Although prescribed fire emits CO₂ at the time of the burn, the treated areas ultimately produced more biomass and stored more carbon over the decades compared to forests left untouched.Overall, the study indicates that carefully managed, low-intensity fire—applied over time—supports stronger, more resilient forests that can better retain carbon.
