Prescribed burning on private land: reflections on recent law reform in Australia and California

Background Prescribed fire is a critical tool for building resilience to changing regimes. Policymakers can accelerate the development of effective, adaptation-oriented governance by learning from other jurisdictions.Aims We analyse reforms prescribed highlight improvements hazard reduction and resilience.Methods searched legislative registers in New South Wales (NSW), Australia California, United States, identifying Bills tabled between 2011 2022 that mention terms ‘prescribed (fire or burn)’ ‘controlled burn)’. reviewed eight relevant NSW 67 California identify thematically code private landowners.Key results found three primary themes across proposals: (1) simplify permitting regulatory approval processes (primarily Australia); (2) efforts mitigate risk legal liability escaped burns California); (3) recent recognition support cultural California).Conclusions Expanding burning on land remains an ongoing challenge but indicate greater attention, jurisdiction-specific approaches, this challenge.Implications Despite differing arrangements, offer important insights improving climate-adaptive fire.