CAL FIRE chief announces retirement; successor to lead unit after average fire season

CAL FIRE’s local unit chief told the Lassen County Board of Supervisors that this year’s fire season was close to historic average for the unit, with about 140 vegetation fires and roughly 4,200 acres burned, mostly from lightning‑caused ignitions.

The chief said the department treated about 4,000 acres this year through a mix of prescribed burning and mechanical fuels work and is expanding fuel‑reduction partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and local Resource Conservation Districts. He said the unit’s seasonal staffing model now runs about nine months (March–December) and that the extra seasonal coverage is being used for fuels work as well as wildfire response.

In remarks to the board, the chief announced his retirement after more than three decades of service and said CAL FIRE had selected Joshua Curran as his successor. Curran, a local high‑school graduate who has worked across the Lassen‑Modoc unit since 1996, told the board he expects a seamless transition and asked the county to continue the partnerships that support fuels projects and community protection.

Board members thanked the outgoing chief for years of service and praised the selection of Curran. Supervisors noted the community benefits from longer seasonal staffing and the fuels program, and they asked staff to keep the board informed about coordination with federal partners and the specific locations of planned fuel breaks.

The board did not take separate formal action on the announcement; the introduction and discussion were informational.