SEASON. HERE IN CALIFORNIA. WELL, THERE’S A NEW WAY TO REDUCE FUEL ON THE GROUNDS OF FOREST IN CALIFORNIA. IT’S CALLED BURN BOT. AND STATE FIREFIGHTERS ARE CONSIDERING USING THIS TO HELP WITH FIREFIGHTING. THE TAHOE FUND HAS BEEN INVESTING IN STARTUPS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF OUR FOREST, AND KCRA 3’S KELLY KERN TAKES A LOOK AT HOW THE MACHINES COULD MAKE AN IMPACT IN THE LAKE TAHOE AREA. IN LAKE TAHOE. THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO IMPROVE FOREST HEALTH AND PREVENT MORE WILDFIRES. NOW THEY’RE SHOWCASING HOW BURN BOT CAN HELP, NOT JUST THEM, BUT ALSO CALIFORNIA FIRE DISTRICTS IS A PHILANTHROPY. OUR SWEET SPOT IS LET’S BRING THAT INNOVATION TO THE AGENCIES WHO MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE THE SAME RISKS THAT WE CAN SO THAT THE AGENCIES CAN SEE IT IN ACTION. WE CAN KIND OF DE-RISK IT FOR THEM IN HOPES THAT THEY ADOPT IT MORE WIDELY. BURN BOB MAY BE JUST THE SOLUTION THEY’RE LOOKING FOR. IT PROMISES TO INCREASE THE SCALE AND PACE OF FIELD WORK, CHEWING UP DEAD VEGETATION, INCLUDING TREES AND REDUCING FUEL FOR DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES. THEY’RE REALLY DESIGNED FOR STEEP SLOPES LIKE YOU’LL SEE OVER HERE, HARD TO REACH AREAS WITHOUT CAUSING A LOT OF GROUND DISTURBANCE BECAUSE THEY’RE LIGHTWEIGHT MACHINES. SO THEY’RE THEY’RE ECOLOGICALLY THEIR FOOTPRINT IS VERY SMALL. THEY DON’T CAUSE A LOT OF GROUND DISTURBANCE. THEY’RE VERY EFFECTIVE AT TAKING OUT DEAD DENSE BRUSH THAT COMPETE WITH RESOURCES FOR THE TREES. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT CAL FIRE WANTS TO SEE IF IT CAN TAKE, YOU KNOW, BOOTS OFF THE GROUND. AND GUYS IN DANGEROUS POSITIONS AND, AND PUT A MACHINE OUT THERE THAT CAN DO THAT WORK SAFER AND AT A LARGER PACE THAN THAT’S SOMETHING I’M INTERESTED IN. WE’VE MADE GREAT STRIDES TODAY IN MEETING SOME OF THE COMPANY AND AND WE’LL PASS ALONG THAT INFORMATION TO OUR WILDFIRE TECHNOLOGY GROUP. AND YOU KNOW, SEE IF WE CAN IMPLEMENT THEM INTO THE FUTURE IN OUR PLANS. FERNBUS CO-FOUNDER AND CEO HOPES THAT THEIR MACHINE WILL MAKE MAINTAINING FOREST HEALTH EASIER, SAFER AND FASTER, MAKING MASSIVE WILDFIRES LIKE THE CALDOR FIRE A THING OF THE PAST. I ENVISION A FUTURE WHERE EVERY ONE OF THOSE HANDCREWS ACTUALLY HAS ONE OF THESE MACHINES, AND THEN WHAT YOU HAVE IS YOU HAVE TEN X, THE CAPABILITY OF DOING THIS FIELD WORK WITHOUT PUTTING PEOPLE AT RISK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT’S SENDING PEOPLE AND POISON OAK ON DEEP SLOPES IS NOT IS NOT THE SAFEST THING TO DO. BUT MACHINES CAN DO THAT MUCH BETTER. AND SO WHY NOT ARM OUR WORKFORCE WITH THIS KIND OF TECHNOLOGY? IN INCLINE VILLAGE, KELLY KERN KCRA THREE NEWS WELL, BURN BOB PLANS TO OPEN AN OFFICE IN THE LAKE TAHOE AREA THIS YEAR. THEY SAY THEY’LL PUT ON ON A PRESCRIBED BUR