Living With Wildfire: Voices from Butte County

KZFR 90.1FM & Butte County Fire Safe Council
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  • EDUCATION

The series will feature interviews with BCFSC Executive Director Taylor Nilsson, Assistant Director Connor Gilmartin, Director of Community Engagement Lauren de Terra, as well as representatives from Butte County organizations and communities. Topics will include indigenous land stewardship, prescribed burning, grazing cooperatives, Firewise USA, community preparedness, and the evolving landscape of fire safety in Butte County.

Episodes

  1. Episode 4: Building Back Stronger

    09/03/2025

    Episode 4: Building Back Stronger

    This episode highlights Paradise’s rebuilding journey and how neighbors are taking wildfire safety into their own hands through Firewise USA, tackling insurance challenges, and setting a national example for fire-adapted communities.

    30 min
  2. Episode 3: Four Legs Forward - Grazing For Change

    08/27/2025

    Episode 3: Four Legs Forward - Grazing For Change

    On this episode of Living With Wildfire, we explore how grazing cooperatives are reducing wildfire risk and strengthening communities. Sarah Jo McDowell and Sarah Keiser share how goats, sheep, and cattle are being used to manage vegetation, improve soil health, and build resilience. Listeners will also learn about the Butte County Fire Safe Council’s Annual Paradise Grazing Festival and its role in showcasing these innovative practices.

    30 min
  3. Episode 2: Neighbors Helping Neighbors – The Prescribed Burn Association Story

    08/20/2025

    Episode 2: Neighbors Helping Neighbors – The Prescribed Burn Association Story

    This episode explores how the Butte Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) is reshaping our relationship with fire through the innovative “neighbors helping neighbors” model. Together, community members are learning to use good fire as a tool for healing the land, easing trauma, and building resilience. Featured voices include Taylor Nilsson, Executive Director of the Butte County Fire Safe Council; Wolfy Rougle, Planning & Watershed Program Manager at the Butte County Resource Conservation District; and Dallas Koller, Fire Program Manager at the Butte County Resource Conservation District. The conversation covers prescribed fire, land stewardship, community-led fire resilience, and how collaboration is transforming wildfire preparedness in Butte County.

    30 min
  4. Episode 1: The History and Evolution of the Butte County Fire Safe Council

    08/13/2025

    Episode 1: The History and Evolution of the Butte County Fire Safe Council

    In the premiere episode of Living With Wildfire: Voices from Butte County, host Calli-Jane West sits down with long-time board member and former Paradise Fire Chief Jim Broshears to explore the origins of the Butte County Fire Safe Council and the county’s wildfire history. From the lessons of the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire to the sweeping changes after the 2018 Camp Fire, they trace how community-led wildfire preparedness has evolved—from early fuel breaks to today’s landscape-level projects, prescribed burning, and Firewise communities. Together, they discuss how a deep connection to the land, proactive home hardening, and neighbor-to-neighbor collaboration are shaping a safer, more resilient Butte County.

    30 min
  • 4 Episodes

About

The series will feature interviews with BCFSC Executive Director Taylor Nilsson, Assistant Director Connor Gilmartin, Director of Community Engagement Lauren de Terra, as well as representatives from Butte County organizations and communities. Topics will include indigenous land stewardship, prescribed burning, grazing cooperatives, Firewise USA, community preparedness, and the evolving landscape of fire safety in Butte County.

Information