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Video: A Path Forward After California’s Deadliest Wildfires
Hotter wildfires are reshaping California’s forests. Replanting them has never mattered more.
August 6, 2025
Wildfires are burning hotter than ever, devastating landscapes and communities. But reforestation can lead the way back.
In 2018, California faced a wildfire season unlike any before it. The Camp and Carr Fires alone scorched nearly 300,000 total acres — an area larger than New York City and San Francisco combined.
But these fires didn’t just consume forests. They destroyed homes and communities, leaving lasting scars on both the landscape and the people who call it home.
Wildfires in California have become more than just seasonal anomalies and are now year-round threats fueled by rising temperatures, prolonged drought, and decades of forest mismanagement. As millions of acres burn each year, the gap between what’s lost and what’s been replanted continues to grow — making the need for reforestation more urgent than ever to restore balance to our ecosystems.
The cost of wildfires
The Camp Fire alone claimed 85 lives and nearly leveled the town of Paradise, destroying more than 18,800 structures in a matter of hours. Just months earlier, the Carr Fire tore through Shasta and Trinity counties, killing eight people and reducing entire neighborhoods to ash. The economic toll of these fires exceeded $16 billion — but the true cost of personal and environmental loss defies numbers.
“People lost their lives. The human toll was historic,” said Danielle Lindler, who witnessed the Camp Fire firsthand. “It was an event that has changed those communities forever. People I know were literally running for their lives — broken ankles trying to run through brush and jumping over fences."
Even for professionals with decades of experience in wildfire response, like Danielle – who is the CEO at Jefferson Resource Company — the fear was visceral.
Beyond the human loss, the landscape itself was irrevocably altered.
“Over 60% of our forested landscape here in Butte County has now burned, just in the past six years,” said Taylor Nilsson, executive director of the Butte County Fire Safe Council.
The county is home to rich ecosystems, including watersheds, creeks, and rivers that support native and endangered species, like Chinook salmon. But much of that environment has been severely impacted by repeated wildfires, subsequently impacting California’s water, food sources, and recreation.
“If we don't address that problem quickly, we're going to continue to see a mass loss of resources throughout the state, as well as loss of the force of landscapes that we love so much,” Nilsson said. “Trees play a huge role in giving people hope and community resilience after a wildfire.”
The new nature of fire
After more than six decades as a registered forester in California, Glenn Zane has witnessed a clear shift in the behavior of wildfires — and what’s being left behind. “We are certainly seeing more intense wildfires today than we saw when I started fighting fire,” Zane says.
While fire has long played a natural role in shaping healthy forest ecosystems, today’s megafires burn with such unnatural heat and intensity that they’re not just destroying trees — they’re actually wiping out the seed banks stored in the forest floor, the very system nature relies on to recover.
Simply put, the fires burning today are hotter, more intense, and more frequent. And the environmental toll is staggering. Forests that once thrived with diverse ecosystems now face the challenge of regeneration. The loss of vegetation has led to increased soil erosion, threatening water quality and wildlife habitats. The absence of trees, which play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, has exacerbated the region's struggle against climate change.
“In a healthy forest, there’s usually a seed bank in the soil that allows seedlings and vegetation to sprout back,” said Nik Larum, general manager at Cal Forest Nursery. “But these fires are so hot, they’re killing that seed source entirely. What’s left behind in some places is essentially a moonscape — there’s nothing left to grow. It's humbling when you go over a ridge and you come down on the other side, and there's literally nothing left from the fire."
Rebuilding with purpose
In the aftermath of devastating wildfires, like the Camp and Carr Fires, the Arbor Day Foundation has remained steadfast in its commitment to long-term recovery. Through its network of experienced on-the-ground partners, the Foundation has helped restore both landscapes and communities — bringing hope, healing, and resilience to areas that have been impacted.
Between 2020 and 2022 alone, more than 2.4 million trees were planted to support Camp & Carr restoration. But this work isn’t just about planting trees — it’s about doing it the right way, with intention and care. By collaborating closely with local experts, the Foundation ensures the right species are planted in the right places, at the right time.
“What makes the Arbor Day Foundation unique in disaster recovery is two things,” said Dan Lambe, CEO of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Number one is science — we use data and technology to guide us to where we can make the greatest impact. And number two is our partner network. Our partners know their communities, their forest lands, and know what to plant, where to plant, and when to plant.”
With decades of experience in disaster recovery — from hurricanes and floods to fires — the Arbor Day Foundation understands that meaningful restoration takes time, resources, and a shared vision for the future. As Northern California continues to heal, the need for sustainable forest management and climate resilience has never been more urgent, and the Arbor Day Foundation remains committed to leading that charge, one tree at a time.
