New Film “Fire Lives Here” Out Now
On August 1, the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative, in partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF) and the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, will debut Fire Lives Here on PBS streaming platforms. This powerful new documentary explores Colorado’s evolving relationship with wildfire and the growing movement to return planned fire to the landscape as a strategy to reduce the risk of destructive fires and create more resilient forests.
Filmed over two years across Colorado’s Front Range, Fire Lives Here goes beyond the flames to showcase the year-round work of firefighters, scientists, land managers, and local communities working to return controlled fire back to Colorado’s forests. Directed by Aaron Colussi and Left of Frame, the film showcases the coordinated planning, implementation, and preparation involved in prescribed fire—and examines the effects of the Alexander Mountain Fire as it moved through areas that had undergone forest treatments.
“At its core, Fire Lives Here is a story of hope and ingenuity,” says film director, Aaron Colussi. “Through sweat, science, and a willingness to see fire differently, these efforts are making a tangible impact. As a filmmaker, my goal was to bring audiences as close as possible to both the urgency and the possibility.”
The film features many voices from the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative — a group of over 40 organizations that includes the US. Forest Service, state and local municipalities, fire protection districts, local non-profits, scientists and fire practitioners. These groups work together across agencies, across ownership boundaries, and across landscape to change wildfire outcomes through forest management treatments such as controlled fire.
As both a producer of the film and a core partner in the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative, NFF played a critical role in bringing this story to life and in supporting local partners to advance the long-term forest health work that it depicts. “This film highlights the power of partnership,” says Shayna Jones, Rocky Mountain Region Program Manager at NFF, “Showing how, together, we can restore the role of beneficial fire to support healthy forests, protect communities, and sustain the landscapes where Coloradans live, work, and recreate.”
Fire Lives Here premiers on PBS streaming platforms on August 1, with a broadcast debut set for October 5 at 5 p.m. EST.
Watch the film and learn more at: https://www.rmpbs.org/shows/fire-lives-here
About the National Forest Foundation
Chartered by Congress, the National Forest Foundation works to promote the health and public enjoyment of the 193-million-acre National Forest System. In Colorado, the NFF is a key partner in wildfire resilience and restoration efforts across the Front Range.
About the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative
The Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative is a partnership of agencies, organizations, and communities working together to protect people, water, and forests from high-severity wildfires through cross-boundary planning and action.