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Nearly 900 people came to Monterey to attend the International Fire Ecology and Management Congress, surpassing all attendance estimates by several hundred and making it the largest fire conference in the world in 2023. FUSEE and FireGen showed up in force with over a dozen staff and Board members, and helped make the Fire Congress the historic event it was. Even more impressive than the large turnout was the extraordinary participation of Indigenous people who shared their wisdom of Indigenous fire science and set the tone of the conference with the free expression of a spiritual joy and respect for fire. A dozen different speaker panels, workshops, and discussion circles featured Indigenous fire practitioners speaking to overflowing breakout rooms. The Esselen Tribal Chairman, Tom Little Bear Nason, wowed everyone with deeply moving ceremonies that both opened and closed the conference. Never before has the Fire Congress been so infused with such a reverent spirit for good fire! FUSEE's Executive Director and several Board members gave oral presentations to packed rooms, and our booth was a buzz of energy in the exhibit hall. But the highlight of the event was the keynote plenary presentation by FireGen's Program Director and Research Director along with the whole FireGen team who led a roundtable discussion meeting about their vision of an empowered young generation in fire management. Thanks to our generous donors and foundation grantors, your support enabled FUSEE to co-chair the conference planning committees that focused on increasing the participation of Indigenous fire practitioners and young people at the Fire Congress. The conference was a huge success due in large part to the energy, vision, and spirit that FUSEE and FireGen brought to the Fire Congress.
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