Interagency Partners Sign Charter to Reduce Wildfire Ignitions in Southern California

September 3, 2025 – Federal, state, and nonprofit partners, including the U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE, the California Department of Conservation, Caltrans, and the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force signed the Southern California Ignition Reduction Program (SCIRP) charter at the Southern California Geographic Area Coordination Center in Riverside. SCIRP is a public-private partnership created to reduce human-caused wildfire ignitions, particularly along roadways where nearly two-thirds of Southern California wildfires begin. The charter will reduce ignitions, lower costs, and limit wildfire impacts across jurisdictional boundaries.

With nearly 95 percent of wildfires in the region sparked by human activity, SCIRP was established in 2023 to directly confront wildfire risk. SCIRP’s mission is to systematically plan, fund, and carry out projects that reduce human caused ignitions while building public awareness and support. Its vision is a future where Southern California fires are limited to natural or beneficial ignitions, and roadways are lined with ignition-resistant materials and native plants.

The program is led by an Executive Committee that includes the U.S. Forest Service, Caltrans, CAL FIRE, and the California Department of Conservation, with advisory support from the National Forest Foundation, Blue Forest, and Conservation Investment Management.