Living With Fire Series
The Tuolumne Fire Safe Council and the League of Women Voters of the Mother Lode have partnered to sponsor an event focused on educating residents on the increasing risk of wildfire.
Objective: To educate residents on the increasing risk of wildfire threat to our homes, businesses, infrastructure, and natural resources. To improve knowledge and understanding of the many factors that influence wildfire behavior and how we can learn to live with wildfire through adaptation and participation of all.
Through the generous support of the Columbia College Foundation and Black Oak Casino Resort the Living with Fire Series has become a reality.
The event is FREE and open to all.
When: March 7, 14, 21, 2026 (Saturdays), the 3 sessions build on each other but can also stand alone.
Session 1: Fire Risk – How did we get here? Where are we now?
Saturday, March 7, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Columbia College – Dogwood Forum Building
11600 College Dr, Sonora, CA 95370
The Dogwood Forum Building is #5 on the map. Guests may park in the staff parking lot.
Film: The West is Burning
THE WEST IS BURNING raises awareness about the conditions of forests in the western U.S. This feature documentary released November 2020 examines the history of forest management and litigation that led to the current conditions which are causing catastrophic fire nearly year-round. The film explores the urgent need to act now, and the potential to generate positive change in our forests, watersheds, and communities, both rural and urban.
Six real-life perspectives drive the films’ narrative to help raise awareness about the conditions of forests in the western U.S. Their stories demonstrate the need to embrace a new era of forest stewardship, and the unique partnerships that are being built across community-based organizations, government entities, and private and non-governmental organizations. These thought leaders highlight the need for a unified response to climate change, land use, and forest restoration, and emphasize the importance of community-based solutions to these challenges.
Discussion Panel
A FORMAL PANEL DISCUSSION featuring local leaders in fire, land management, private lands, forest resource utilization, collaboration and partnerships, education, and government will explore the themes of Resilient Landscapes, Fire Adapted Communities, Collaborative Forest Management, Communities and the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).
Fuel Reduction Tour
Dr. Thomas Hofstra, Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources at Columbia College, will guide us on a walk through the Columbia College Campus to view active fuel reduction work being done by Forestry and Natural Resources students, including hand thinning, pile burning, chipping, mastication and broadcast burning. (Please wear appropriate footwear.)
Difficulty: Moderate, the campus is hilly. The tour will stay on trails and fire roads as much as possible. Access to some units may require off-trail walking. Limited accessibility options may be available. Please notify the welcome table of any special needs.
Session 2: Reducing Risk and Building Resilience
Saturday, March 14, 9 am-1 pm
Black Oak Casino Conference Center
19400 Tuolumne Rd N, Tuolumne, CA (use Hotel entrance)
Film: Fireforest:When Forest Fire met Forest Restoration
In August of 2020, the Cameron Peak Fire was racing uncontrollably towards communities in northern Colorado. As it reached the footprint of a past U.S. Forest Service prescribed burn and the Drala Mountain Center (formerly Shambhala Mountain Center), a near-miracle occurred. The prescribed burn, combined with forest restoration treatments at Drala, gave firefighters a foothold to halt a portion of the fire and avert disaster for the communities downslope.
This 16-minute film tells the story of what happened there through the accounts of a U.S. Forest Service fire specialist, a Larimer Conservation District forester, and the Drala land manager. Together, they urge us to see fire and forest management as natural and essential parts of the landscape. By shifting the way we perceive fire and actively preparing forests to receive it, we can create hope for living with wildfires.
Speakers
Emily Rogan, Senior Program Officer, United PolicyHolders: California Home Insurance Update: The good, the bad and the ugly.
United Policyholders (“UP”) is a non-profit information resource and a voice for insurance consumers in all 50 states. We give you the straight scoop on insurance matters. We don’t accept financial support from insurance companies. We don’t give advice or endorse or warrant any of our sponsors.
Eric Knapp, PHD Research Ecologist, US Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station: Protecting your home from wildfire.
Dr. Knapp has been studying forests and fire in the Sierra Nevada for over 25 years. After experiencing the Carr Fire and the Camp Fire, he set out to learn what caused some homes to survive while surrounding ones were destroyed. He will share findings from his research and thoughts about how communities at the wildland-urban interface better live with fire.
Dr. T Maiorana, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Design, UC Davis
Emily Schlickman:
Melissa (MV) Eitzel:
Wildfire Preparedness Exercise
Patrick Koepele: Executive Director, Yosemite Rivers Alliance: Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions. Patrick will discuss the formation of the YSS collaborative group and the Social and Ecological Resilience Across the Landscape (SERAL) Project on the Stanislaus National Forest.
Karen J Caldwell: President, Tuolumne Fire Safe Council, retired District Ranger, US Forest Service. Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for Tuolumne County
Session 3: Community Prevention and Individual Responsibility
Saturday, March 21, 9 am-1 pm
Black Oak Casino Conference Center
19400 Tuolumne Rd N, Tuolumne, CA (use Hotel entrance)
Film: Weathered: Inside the LA Firestorm
The 2025 LA Wildfires set a record as one of the most expensive and destructive in US history. As environmental shifts accelerate extreme fire conditions and communities expand into fire-prone landscapes, these devastating wildfires are becoming more common. But are they inevitable?
Film: Your Home Can Survive a Wildfire
Dr. Jack Cohen, a highly respected expert on wildfire behavior and fire science research, explains how fireproofing your home can help protect it from wildfire.
Speakers
Karen Caldwell, Tuolumne Fire Safe Council President, retired District Ranger, U.S. Forest Service: Fire Adapted Communities and how to become a “recognized“ Firewise Community.
Lara McNicol, Forester & Co-Coordinator for Tuolumne Prescribed Burn Association: Good Fire – Fire in the Ecosystem & Burning Safely on Private lands.
Lara is a Conservation forester in the central Sierra Nevada mountains and foothills. Specializing in forest management, fire ecology and preparedness, conservation planning, prescribed fire planning, and multi-generational family forest management.
