Forest resilience projects reduce fuels, wildfire risk for local communities
Redding, CA Jan. 9, 2026 — The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is planning prescribed fire operations this Monday, January 12, 2026. We estimate this work to continue through Friday, January 16, 2026, as weather conditions allow and pending all required approvals.
We use prescribed fires to reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.
Prescribed fires planned for the area include:
- McCloud RD: Sandy and Bottom landing piles, three miles north of Pondosa (49 acres); Middle Falls hand piles, near the Middle Falls of the McCloud River (0.5 acre)
- Shasta Lake RD: Interstate 5 (Skyline) Pile Rx, multiple sites along Interstate 5 between Packers Bay and Antlers Bridge (60 acres)
- Weaverville RD: Haylock hand piles, near Trinity Dam (705 acres)
- Yolla Bolla RD: Gemmil/Dubakella hand piles, near Wildwood, (111 acres)
Those areas may close to the public for several days for public safety. Watch for warning signs along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during burns.
Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. For more detailed information about air quality, go to AirNowonline or download the app. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.
We will evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled.
Stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fires through the forest website, social media channels, and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system. We will notify county emergency management officials when burning begins.
About the Forest Service: The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
