NEVADA CITY, Calif. May 15, 2019 – On the Tahoe National Forest, wildland firefighters prepare for yet another fire season. But wildland firefighters aren’t the only Tahoe National Forest employees trying to stop catastrophic wildfires and increase forest health. Explore why our forests have changed and what’s being done to reverse this trend in this 11-minute movie.

Fire and Forest Health showcases wildland firefighters, biologists, foresters, and fuels specialists as they work together to stop catastrophic wildfires and increase forest health. This film was shot on location within the Tahoe National Forest and features Tahoe National Forest employees.

“At its heart, this is an educational film. Within a few short minutes audiences can learn how wildland firefighters prepare for the upcoming fire season and also how the US Forest Service is working to prevent catastrophic wildfires through the planning and implementation of forest health projects,” said Eli Ilano, Tahoe National Forest Supervisor. “We hope this film will be shared far and wide by educators, community groups, social media users, and anyone interested in wildfire prevention, forest health, and modern National Forest land management.”

Behind the scenes

It took a truck full of gear to film some of the prescribed fire shots in the film. Here, director Joe Flannery gives a thumbs up after filming has wrapped for the day at a prescribed underburn near Bullards Bar reservoir.

Public Affairs Officer Joe Flannery wrote and directed the movie, hauling a truck full of gear to the locations. He is hoping to produce more movies showcasing the Tahoe National Forest and the people caring for the forest, “While making this short film we tried our best to showcase some of the difficult and complicated tasks Tahoe National Forest employees complete each season. I’m proud to work on the Tahoe National Forest and proud to work alongside so many passionate and dedicated public servants. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of their story being told.”

Drone footage makes for some amazing views, like flying up a huge Jeffrey Pine just outside the Cottonwood Campground.

About the movie

Fire and Forest Health was screened three times at the 2019 Wild & Scenic Film Festival in January, 2019. In addition, Fire and Forest Health was screened along with Wilder Than Wild at several Nevada County venues in Nevada City  and Truckee during wildfire preparedness town hall meetings.

Fire and Forest Health was produced in association with the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association. Origami Rocket, from Squaw Valley, CA. provided motion graphics, cinematography, and editing. Gigantic Film Co., from Bend, OR provided cinematography and editing.