How biochar can help prevent wildfires

Wildfires in California are becoming more frequent and destructive, driven by climate change, land mismanagement, and hazardous biomass accumulation. The January 2025 fires in Los Angeles caused an estimated $250 billion in economic losses. Currently used mitigation strategies, such as controlled burns or forest thinning, struggle to keep pace with intensifying fire conditions driven by climate change and related droughts and fire occurrences. A promising yet underutilized solution is biochar carbon removal —a process that converts excess biomass that fuels catastrophic fires into a stable water-trapping material, mitigating wildfire and preventing the release of carbon back into the atmosphere. This article explores how biochar can reduce wildfire risks, generate new income streams for affected populations, and contribute to the fight against climate change.

The status quo: The growing threat of wildfires

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe worldwide, driven by climatic and socio-economic factors. The abandonment of agricultural lands, declining market prices for forest products, and rising labor costs have contributed to an increase in unmanaged land, heightening fire risks. Climate change further exacerbates wildfire activity by creating drier and hotter conditions, with research linking rising global temperatures to more intense and widespread fires.

Recent fire seasons have set alarming records. In 2023 alone, unplanned wildfires led to the loss of nine million hectares of tree cover globally — roughly the size of Portugal — the highest in recorded history across different countries and ecosystems: The European Union experienced its largest wildfire to date in Greece, while Canadian wildfires accounted for 22% of the year's global wildfire emissions. Collectively, wildfires released an estimated 8.8 gigatonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere between March 2023 and February 2024—equivalent to the combined annual emissions of the United States, the European Union, and South America.‍

With wildfires increasing in both frequency and intensity, California has a unique opportunity to adopt innovative solutions to boost the local economy while mitigating fire risks. The Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025 exemplify this growing crisis as one of the most recent and impactful events: California has been facing increasingly destructive wildfires, with rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns intensifying fire-prone conditions. Climate change has been linked to a 172% increase in wildfire-affected areas in the state since 1979. During this year's event, the fires claimed at least 25 lives, destroyed thousands of homes, and cost billions of dollars to homeowners, insurance companies, and the state. The Pacific Palisades blaze alone scorched over 23,700 acres and devastated more than 5,300 structures. 

Hazardous biomass: Fuel for the fire

Dead and decaying plant material, including branches, leaves, and underbrush, accumulates in forests and grasslands, creating a significant wildfire hazard. The buildup of this biomass is often the result of insufficient land management, such as the absence of regular forest thinning, controlled burns, or debris removal. Without intervention, these fuel loads continue to grow, increasing the likelihood of extreme wildfire events.

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Thick underbrush acts like kindling. When left to build up, it fuels faster, hotter, and more destructive fires.

The problem has been exacerbated by prolonged drought, pest infestations, and the lack of effective land management strategies. Research highlights the strong connection between wildfire resilience and biomass supply, emphasizing that harvesting excess biomass can reduce the amount of combustible material while also providing feedstock for bioenergy and bioproducts. 

Case studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of biomass extraction in reducing fire hazards. In Mediterranean ecosystems, targeted biomass removal has proven to be a viable strategy for both fire suppression and bioenergy production, reinforcing the potential synergies between wildfire prevention and sustainable resource utilization.

Managing hazardous biomass is crucial, but traditional disposal methods — such as slash burning — can worsen emissions. The key challenge is finding economically viable and ecologically sound solutions to manage biomass accumulation without exacerbating emissions. This is where biochar can present a breakthrough: rather than contributing to fire risk, biomass can be transformed into a stable, financially valuable carbon storage medium while also reducing wildfire hazards. Redirecting these materials toward the production of biochar offers dual benefits: mitigating wildfire risk and sequestering carbon in a stable form, as noted by the IEA.

Biomass yields are evaluated at 5.2 dry tons per acre according to the DOE. The U.S. Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy aims to treat up to 50 million acres over the next decade. Across the 28.2 million forested acres prioritized in wildfire risk reduction, estimated biomass availability from treatment efforts could reach 1.8–2.9 million dry tons per year (reaching 250 million in the next decade). These millions of tons will need to be processed. For that, biochar should be highlighted as a promising solution for converting hazardous biomass into a stable carbon sink while providing soil enhancement benefits and reducing wildfire risk.‍

Biochar: An innovative solution

Biochar is a stable, carbon-rich material produced by pyrolyzing biomass under low-oxygen conditions. One of biochar’s benefits is its ability to reduce wildfire risks. Through controlled pyrolysis, high-risk plant material — such as dead wood and underbrush — is removed from fire-prone landscapes, significantly reducing available fuel loads. By limiting the amount of dry biomass that can sustain and intensify wildfires, biochar production serves as a proactive fire management strategy. 

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Turning forest underbrush into biochar (above) not only reduces wildfire fuel — it also locks away carbon for centuries, helping fight climate change.

Biochar, as the end-product of the pyrolysis process, further offers additional benefits when used as a soil amendment. Biochar-enriched soils retain moisture more effectively, mitigating drought conditions that contribute to fire severity. Some studies have started showing results with biochar helping reduce water usage by 30% or even 50% in some trials, although further monitoring is needed to reach definitive conclusions. This increased soil water retention helps maintain healthier vegetation, reducing plant stress and susceptibility to ignition. Additionally, biochar improves soil structure, fostering more resilient ecosystems that can better withstand extreme climate conditions.‍

Finally, biochar serves as a powerful carbon dioxide removal (CDR) tool effectively locking away carbon for hundreds to thousands of years. Biochar’s ability to remove carbon while simultaneously providing ecological and economic benefits makes it a particularly attractive option in the broader portfolio of CDR strategies. 

Beyond environmental benefits, biochar also creates economic opportunities for landowners and forest managers. The need for financial support in biomass removal could be filled by biochar-based business models through two value creation strategies. First, the biochar itself has a value and a market as a soil additive. Second, carbon markets recognize biochar’s sequestration potential, allowing stakeholders to generate revenue through carbon removal credits.

Case study: Biochar in action

California has been at the forefront of wildfire mitigation efforts, and the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has recognized biochar as a strategic tool in managing hazardous biomass. In a recent initiative, CAL FIRE invested nearly $800,000 in two mobile pyrolysis units designed for on-site forest waste disposal. These units enable large-scale conversion of forest residues into biochar, reducing wildfire fuel loads while offering a carbon-negative solution. By processing biomass directly at the site, this initiative not only lowers waste disposal costs but also provides a valuable soil-enhancing product with downstream applications in carbon sequestration, agriculture, and ecosystem restoration. 

In Washington State, the Islands Conservation Corps (ICC) in the San Juan Islands has integrated biochar production into its oak woodland restoration and community wildfire protection efforts. Using mobile biochar production units, the project repurposes forest thinnings, reducing fire risk while enhancing soil and forest resilience. These portable systems apply flame carbonization technology, which efficiently transforms wood waste into biochar with minimal emissions. The USDA Forest Service has documented this project as a model for scalable, community-driven wildfire prevention strategies.

Minnesota faces growing wildfire risks, particularly due to the prevalence of balsam fir, a highly flammable tree species. To mitigate fire hazards, the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service have initiated a project focused on removing balsam fir and converting it into biochar. Traditionally, felled trees were either burned or left to decay, releasing CO₂ into the atmosphere. However, in partnership with the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), the project now processes balsam fir into biochar, providing a low-emission alternative while enhancing soil quality. This initiative, detailed in NRRI’s research and WTIP’s coverage, highlights the economic and environmental benefits of integrating biochar into wildfire prevention efforts.

These case studies demonstrate biochar’s practical application in wildfire-prone regions, offering a cost-effective, scalable, and environmentally sustainable solution for managing hazardous biomass and enhancing forest resilience.

Beyond public initiatives, private sector innovation is also scaling biochar solutions. Charm Industrial — a CDR company doing bio-oil injection and biochar — is a great real life example, currently scaling up its biochar operations in Colorado, processing 1,700 tons of biomass that would have otherwise fueled dangerous wildfires. Charm has already removed 8,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent from the atmosphere while creating economic opportunities, with the workforce growing to over 100 employees in the past year. By converting wildfire fuels into biochar, Charm contributes to climate resilience and sustainable land management. A key part of Charm’s biomass supply chain is its partnership with Altitude Forestry which ensures efficient biomass sourcing. Altitude Forestry conducts forest thinning and hazardous fuel removal, following guidelines from the Colorado State Forest Service. ‍

Carbon dioxide removal: A co-benefit of biochar

Given that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that gigatons of CO₂ removal per year will be required by 2050 to reach global net-zero targets. Scalable and immediately deployable CDR solutions like biochar are crucial. The rapid acceleration of CDR deployment is necessary, as delaying action will make achieving climate goals exponentially more difficult.‍

Biochar offers a permanent carbon sequestration pathway by stabilizing biogenic carbon that would otherwise be released through decomposition or combustion. Once incorporated into soil, biochar stores carbon for hundreds or even thousands of years, preventing it from re-entering the atmosphere and contributing to climate change. Unlike some carbon removal technologies that are currently not scaled and remain costly infrastructures, biochar provides a low-tech, scalable, and immediate solution.

Currently, biochar represents 94% of total carbon removal deliveries in 2023 in the voluntary carbon market, positioning it as a leading CDR strategy. Biochar production removes CO₂ while generating a beneficial co-product that enhances soil health and agricultural productivity. Its dual function as a wildfire mitigation tool and a climate solution makes it uniquely positioned to support both environmental and economic goals.

Recognized by the IPCC as a gigaton-scale CDR pathway, biochar has the potential to play a crucial role in global decarbonization efforts. The sustainable supply of biomass from forest and wildfire management presents an opportunity to scale biochar production in a way that aligns with broader carbon removal and land restoration strategies. Both the IEA and research from the USDA highlight biochar as a key tool in mitigating fire risks while enhancing carbon sequestration capacity.‍

For California, integrating biochar into wildfire management aligns with the state’s ambitious climate targets. As a leading agricultural hub, California can benefit from biochar’s soil-improving properties, while simultaneously advancing its long-term decarbonization goals. On an international scale, biochar’s dual role in fire prevention and carbon sequestration makes it a strategic component of net-zero pathways.

Conclusion: A path forward

The dual benefits of biochar

Biochar delivers a rare dual impact: immediate wildfire risk reduction and durable carbon removal, offering both immediate and long-term benefits. In the short term, it reduces fuel loads in fire-prone regions, lowering wildfire intensity and protecting communities. Over the long term, biochar contributes to climate action by locking away atmospheric carbon and enhancing ecosystem resilience.

Additionally, to unlock biochar’s full potential, coordinated action from public and private stakeholders is essential:

• Corporates: Increase purchases of biochar CDR credits to support market growth

• Governments: Integrate biochar into wildfire management policies and fund biochar infrastructure, including through direct credit purchases

• Investors: Expand funding in biochar technologies to help scale production and drive innovation

‍As wildfires become more destructive and the urgency for carbon removal intensifies, biochar stands out as a practical, scalable, and effective solution. A strategic push from policymakers, businesses, and investors will be key to ensuring biochar’s widespread adoption in wildfire-prone regions and allow for the scaling of a necessary industry to reach climate objectives.

This article is also published on Carbonfuture. illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.