Harney County Restoration Collaborative and High Desert Partnership will be hosting a presentation on wildland fire called Era of Megafires at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 3, at the Historic Desert Theatre in Burns. Megafires, wildfires over 100,000 acres, and the destruction caused by them is a serious and growing issue to our region. Our communities, homes, businesses, and our very way of life are threatened. However, this doesn’t have to be the case.

The restoration work supported by Harney County Restoration Collaborative aims to prevent wildfires of this magnitude. Fire is a natural part of the dry-side forest in Harney County, and can be used to manage the forest’s health without hindering the local economy and harming our community. Partners of the Harney County Restoration Collaborative believe discussions and information about fire is necessary for our community to address this growing concern.

The “Era of Megafires” is a 70-minute, multi-media, traveling presentation hosted by Dr. Paul Hessburg, who has conducted fire and landscape ecology research for more than 27 years. The presented material comes in the form of fast-moving, short, topic-based talks interspersed with compelling video vignettes and features the work of wildfire photographer, John Marshall. The videos are produced by the award-winning documentary film company, North 40 Productions, of Wenatchee, Wash.

The presentation is designed to educate audiences about fire, its natural role on the forest, how we’ve interrupted the natural order and caused a significant increase in the incidence of megafires, and what we do about the problem. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion regarding specific local challenges the collaborative faces.

Dr. Hessburg is a research ecologist with Forest Service Research and Development. He has been studying historical and modern era forests of the Inland West for the last 32 years, publishing extensively in leading national and international journals. His work documents large changes in forest conditions and how these changes, along with climate change, have set the stage for large and severe wildfires or megafires. This presentation is an outgrowth of his research and his concerns for the future.

This presentation is open to the public and all are welcome to attend free of charge. Tiny Pedersen, owner of the Historic Desert Theatre, is donating the use of the theater for this presentation. The theater will open the concession stand during the event, and snacks and drinks will be available for purchase. For more information, visit the High Desert Partnership website at highdesertpartnership.org or contact Brenda Smith at director@highdesertpartnership.org.