Fireforest
The Film
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.
Attend a Screening
Fireforest is currently only available to watch at in-person screenings. Please register at the links below:
October 1: Snowmass, Colorado—Colorado Wildland Fire Conference (conference registration required)
October 11: Winter Park, Colorado—hosted by Headwaters River Journey
October 24: Red Feather Lakes—hosted by Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed
October 30: Fort Collins—Colorado Mass Timber Coalition Conference
Host a Screening
Does this story sound like an important one for your audience? Fireforest was created to add nuance to wildfires and build support for forest restoration. While the film remains available at screenings only during its initial launch, you can request to host a screening at the link below.
Past Screenings
August 18: Loveland—hosted by Big Thompson Watershed Coalition
August 20: Fort Collins—hosted by Larimer Conservation District
August 22: Estes Park—hosted by Estes Valley Watershed Coalition
Acknowledgments
This film was made possible with funding from the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation and Peaks to People Fund Water Fund; and with guidance and coordination from Larimer Conservation District, Drala Mountain Center, the U.S. Forest Service, Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, and the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative.