Public invited to see ‘good fire’ Oct. 5 at Central Coast fair

At the Central Coast Good Fire Fair, fire professionals will demonstrate how prescribed burning is used to manage natural ecosystems.

Learn the how, where and why fire is used to manage the natural landscape at the Central Coast Good Fire Fair on Saturday, Oct. 5. The fair is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton in Santa Cruz County. The event is sponsored by the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network and California State Parks.

“You can witness a live prescribed fire in the redwood grove and learn about using fire in our coastal ecosystems,” said Barb Satink Wolfson, UC Cooperative Extension fire advisor for San Benito, Santa Clara, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.

Representatives of California State Parks, CALFIRE, indigenous groups and the Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association are scheduled to talk about how they work with fire.

The Good Fire Fair will offer educational activities for children and adults:

• Learn how to safely build, tend and extinguish a campfire
• Watch live burns of piles and redwood understory growth (likely between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., depending on the weather)
• Savor sandwiches, burgers and Venezuelan food from local food trucks
• Observe demonstrations and visit informative booths
• Learn how to make your home more resilient to wildfire
• Test your fire knowledge and win prizes

“Kids will get to see a wildland fire engine up close, try fire science experiments and play educational games. Bring a camera,” said Satink Wolfson. “Knowledge feeds the soul, but two of Santa Cruz's best food trucks will feed your hunger!”

The event is free, but parking at the park is $10. No registration required.

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