In a report published August 26, it was noted that Washington is working to empower more residents to lead prescribed burns on private lands to prevent megablazes. The state's Department of Natural Resources offers a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager course to train professionals in lighting carefully planned fires to reduce forest fuel density.
The training program aims to address a century of wildfire suppression that has left many Western forests overly dense with dead limbs, needles, and brush. Research shows that spreading low-intensity fires in the spring and fall to treat unhealthy forests can lower the risk of high-intensity wildfires by 60%.
Kyle Lapham, who has managed the Washington certification program since its launch in 2022, stated that the goal is to burn out of the problem rather than waiting for unplanned fires to occur. While the certification is not required to conduct a burn, it provides legal protections that can limit liability for practitioners.
Many forests in the West are owned by private citizens, timber companies, tribes, or local governments rather than federal or state agencies. In Washington, more than 40% of forestlands are privately owned. To address this, states are training burn leaders and offering grants and technical support to encourage management on private property.
The implementation of prescribed burns faces challenges including complex air quality regulations and the need for significant resources. A single burn can require personnel, tankers, engines, and containment lines, often requiring coordination between multiple agencies.
Funding has also been a variable. While state Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove successfully lobbied for $60 million for an account including the DNR's prescribed burn program, other funding has faced shifts. For example, a Washington state grant program for community prescribed fire efforts received $170,000 in 2025, down from $1.4 million in the previous two-year budget cycle.
Despite funding fluctuations, local communities are increasingly forming prescribed burn associations to coordinate efforts. Will Rubin, a forest resilience communications manager with the state DNR, noted that these local cooperatives are spreading more quickly as they build connections between neighbors and community groups.
