Rodger's Ridge Shaded Fuel Break
The Rodger’s Ridge Shaded Fuel Break Project involved the establishment of a 16-acre shaded fuel break along a roughly 0.8-mile stretch of ridgeline affected by the 2017 Tubbs Fire. The primary objectives were to mitigate the accumulation of dead woody fuels, interrupt the horizontal and vertical continuity of fuels and decrease overall tree and shrub density.
Cut material was piled and partially covered to be burned by another contractor at a later date. Additionally we thinned a supplementary 1-acre Douglas fir section of standing dead (fire-killed) hazard trees up to 32" DBH, and treated associated biomass by placing in contact with the ground and piling. An additional ~4 acre forested area within the preserve was prepared for prescribed burning by manually removing accumulated fuels from around all mature oak trees as well as interrupting the vertical continuity of fuels to prevent tree torching by removing low-hanging branches; these tasks were to prevent tree mortality due to fire. The end result has enhanced fire holding capacity in this tactically critical area for wildfire response and prescribed burning.