Fire consumes dead and down woody material. It returns nutrients to the soil. It can allow sunshine in an area once dominated by shade. It encourages plant succession.

Historically, fire managers failed to recognize the value of fire. Fire management in the western United States has been characterized by a full and active suppression effort. As reflected in Bambi, wildfire was viewed as an evil force in nature. Indeed, fires can and do result in the loss of life and property. But the practice of full suppression has come at a cost. It has contributed to the ferocious quality of many notable fire incidents.

Prior to the Euro-American settlement of the West, fires ignited by lightning burned without interference. These fires reduced fuel loads and played a major role in the plant communities of the West. In addition, Native American populations extensively used fire. Hence, the suppression of lightning fires and the removal of Native American burning have resulted in tremendous increases in fuel loads and greater potential for catastrophic fires.

Places like Yosemite National Park allow many lightning fires to burn under monitored conditions. These "prescribed natural fires" are not practical for Mt. Diablo. The frequency of lightning is not as great (Native American populations contributed to the greater frequency of fires here) and, of course, we have an urban interface that borders much of the park. Needless to say, wildfires at Mt. Diablo receive a full and quick response.

To reintroduce fire onto the landscape and to assist in the reduction of fuel hazards, managers of Mt. Diablo State Park with the cooperation of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and local fire agencies have implemented the use of prescribed fire. Prescribed fire is the application of fire onto a landscape under controlled and monitored conditions by well-trained and well-equipped personnel to meet specific management goals. A prescribed fire involves extensive planning and coordination.

The prescribed fire program at Mt. Diablo began in 1986. A number of acres throughout the park have been targeted. A 1997 prescribed fire near Knobcone Point was directed at a knobcone forest and expanse of chaparral that had no record of fire this past century. That same year, a prescribed burn took place in the Little Pine Canyon area that was a part of a native plant regeneration project. A recent series of prescribed burns near Curry Point has demonstrated the effectiveness of fire in reducing the regeneration of the obnoxious yellow starthistle.

Prescribed fire has also been a tool for firefighters. A 1992 wildfire’s spread was partially checked when it entered an area of chaparral that was treated by a prescribed fire the previous year (Emmons Canyon).

Along with the wind, rain, sun, mountain lion, and fairy lantern, fire is an integral component of the natural world of Mt. Diablo. With the utilization of prescribed fire, this element can co-exist with the people that use and live on and near the mountain while maintaining its purpose of regeneration and rebirth.