With the end of 2024 fiscal year, the Pacific Southwest Region of the USDA Forest Service is reflecting on the agency’s accomplishments – including a record-setting number of prescribed fire and other landscape treatment acres as well as an excellent record for fire suppression.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished,” said Fire Director Jaime Gamboa. “The end-of-year numbers clearly demonstrate our commitment to community and resource protection.”
As of November 19th, more than 325,000 acres were reported as successfully treated for hazardous fuels abatement. This included a record over 72,000 acres in prescribed burning alone.
And despite numerous challenges, which included record-setting high temperatures and a heavy early season grass crop, Forest Service firefighters and partners maintained a largely successful year with fire suppression too. Final calculations show 96% of fires stopped within the first operational period.
Gamboa attributes this success rate to aggressive initial attack, early detection technology, strong relationships with cooperating agencies, and strategically pre-positioned surge resources, including almost 500 engines from out of the state, many of which were in California for extended tours.
“Utilizing our national system allows us to add capacity to the whole organization, instead of simply moving limited resources around California.”
“We aren’t out of the woods yet,” he continued. “2024 is again proving that fire season in California is year-round, especially in the southern part of the state. But given the early start to the season and the total number of fires, we’ve maintained an extraordinary level of success in suppression operations on our own lands across the Western United States and in support of our partners.”
In California alone, almost 1,000 fire starts occurred on Forest Service lands this year. Firefighters from the agency also assisted with many more fires on lands managed by partners.
“We will continue to meet challenges with strength and innovation,” Gamboa concluded.
