Fire Management Program
The Watershed Center’s Fire Management Program supports community-based prescribed fire.
Our team believes that fire is for everyone, and that you can serve a role in bringing beneficial fire back to the landscape, regardless of ability or experience
What We Do
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Local Fire Management, Trinity County
We plan and implement prescribed burns in Trinity County, working with private landowners, volunteer fire departments, Tribes, community-based organizations, and our federal and state agency neighbors. Get trained, join a local burn, or learn to manage your land with fire.
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Statewide Training and Support, California
We train and coach fire practitioners across California, running hands-on immersive courses in English and Spanish, supporting Prescribed Burn Associations and other community organizations as they build their own burn programs, and hosting and staffing Prescribed Fire Training Exchanges. Connect with our statewide training staff to help meet your local needs.
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Qualifications Management
We provide records management, certification, and training officer support for non-agency organizations that need their people’s wildland fire qualifications recognized for cooperative burning and career growth. Connect with our qualifications management staff to express interest.
Mapping a Movement
The Community-Based Beneficial Fire Data Project is a statewide accounting of what Tribal cultural fire practitioners, prescribed burn associations, nonprofit organizations, resource conservation districts, and private landowners have accomplished in building the relationships, skills and policies needed to return beneficial fire to the landscape.
Watershed Center staff recently updated the dashboard with 2025 data. In 2024 and 2025, community partners completed more than 1,280 cultural and prescribed burns, treated nearly 10,000 acres, and engaged close to 16,000 people on those burns.
Publications
Our team writes blogs, reports, case studies, and field guidance for practitioners and policy makers. Visit the Digital Library to read more.
Meet the Team
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Andrea Boustos
PRESCRIBED FIRE TRAINING SPECIALIST
Andrea’s focus is on prescribed fire and land management. During her professional career she has designed, planned, and implemented burn plans, training programs, community prevention projects ('escuelas de campo'), and environmental education programs. -
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Ellen McGehee
FIRE OPERATIONS SPECIALIST
Ellen is devoted to implementing prescribed fire in Trinity County. She works toward a more fire-adapted landscape through supporting local Prescribed Burn Associations, developing burn and smoke management plans, and supporting implementation of prescribed fire. -
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Erin Banwell
CO-DIRECTOR OF FIRE MANAGEMENT
Erin’s main duties include cooperative prescribed fire planning, capacity building, and prescribed fire implementation. She works on burn planning, fostering partnerships, and providing mentorship and technical assistance to a wide range of partner organizations, landowners, and fire service agencies.
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Hannah Hepner
NORTHERN SIERRA BENEFICIAL FIRE TRAINING COORDINATOR
Hannah provides training and beneficial burning support to increase the number of individuals who are safely utilizing “good fire.” Her work focuses on operations as well as addressing barriers to access and information. -
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José Luis Duce Aragüés
PRESCRIBED FIRE TRAINING SPECIALIST
José is a fire practitioner from Spain, learning, sharing, and improving his skills related with all aspects of fire. He travels around the state of California, developing local capacities and training charismatic leaders who want to take the torch and share beneficial fire.
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Miller Bailey
CO-DIRECTOR OF FIRE MANAGEMENT
Miller’s main duties include designing and implementing cooperative projects that foster resilient ecosystems, optimize local workforce and landowner benefits, and protect communities from wildfire. He works on risk management, coordinating training opportunities, and leading cooperative burns.
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Ryan Bauer
STATEWIDE BENEFICIAL FIRE TRAINING OFFICER
Ryan is responsible for administering a fire qualifications management system to support an All Hands, All Lands approach to expanding the use of beneficial fire. He has a broad range of wildland fire management experience that includes wildland fire operations on Interagency Hotshot Crews, Incident Management Teams, as a local Incident Commander, and as an Air Resource Advisor.
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Qwalen Berntsen
FIRE OPERATIONS SPECIALIST
Qwalen organizes and implements prescribed fire in Trinity County with the intention to reduce wildfire risk and create fire resilient communities through the management of local ecosystems.
