The latest film in the #forestproud Wood Innovation series, Fire-Forged Innovations, takes us to the West Coast to explore how wildfire mitigation and post-fire recovery efforts can create innovative wood products that benefit both forests and communities.

At the center of the story is biochar, a material created from low-value wood and forest byproducts that would otherwise go to waste. In this film, the American Biochar Institute and Executive Director Myles Gray help break down the science of biochar in plain language, showing how it supports forest health, soil productivity, and real-world applications across landscapes.

We then head into the field with Earth Foundries, where founders Roger Smullen and Dede Smullen demonstrate how mobile pyrolysis systems are being used on active wildfire mitigation projects to convert woody debris into biochar. Their work in the Mendocino National Forest highlights how small-scale, on-the-ground efforts can reduce wildfire risk while creating value from materials generated during fuel reduction.

From there, we travel to Burney, California, to see how Pacific Biochar and West BioFuels is scaling this work through large-scale production at the Hat Creek Bioenergy facility, where Josiah Hunt, Matt Summers, and MacKenzie Castruita, share how biochar is produced at scale and applied in real-world settings. The story comes full circle on agricultural land, where biochar is applied to soils - connecting forest management to benefits that extend beyond the woods.

Supported by the U.S. Forest Service Wood Innovations Program, Fire-Forged Innovations shows how partnerships and practical solutions are turning today’s forest management challenges into opportunities for healthier forests and more resilient communities.

Watch the film to see how biochar is putting forest management into action - and share it to help others better understand the role forests play in our everyday lives.