THE MARIPOSA COUNTY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL CONTINUES ITS FUEL REDUCTION PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. THE WORK PERFORMED LAST YEAR IS PICTURED ABOVE. The Mariposa County Fire Safe Council has announced there are a few ongoing fuel reduction projects currently taking place in Mariposa County.

In the Lushmeadows area, the council is working on a three and a half mile long, 300 feet wide shaded fuel break. A majority of the hand work was completed in April-June with the assistance of CAL FIRE Mt.Bullion crews. Mastication work has began and will resume when the next round of funding for the project is received. This shaded fuel break will protect a number of communities upon completion.

The Stumpfield/Watt fuel break has been completed. This fuel break is a three and a half mile long and 300 feet wide, stretching from Highway 49 South, down Stumpfield Mountain Road to Watt Road. Work first began on this project in 2007, and has been completed in 2010. The Mariposa County Fire Safe Council would thanked all the property owners that own the land on which the fuel break is located for their willingness to participate in this project that adds to the overall safety of the community to preventing a large wildland fire from occurring.

Local contractors with the assistance of hand crews from CAL FIRE Mt. Bullion Camp worked diligently and with the hard work and dedication from all parties involved, the project is complete.

In addition to the shaded fuel breaks, the Mariposa County Fire Safe Council continues its defensible space projects. The Mariposa County Fire Safe Council is offering defensible space programs geared toward keeping Mariposa County residents fire safe.

Defensible space is the 100- foot perimeter around all permanent structures landscaped to reduce fire danger. The programs being offered are weed eating, raking, brushing, chipping of defensible space debris and gutter cleaning. The chipping of defensible space materials is free to county residents who can cut and properly pile the defensible space brush.

The weed eating, raking brushing and gutter cleaning are offered to those residents who qualify. To qualify, one has to be physically and financially unable to clear their own defensible space. The chipping and brushing program is on hold while the council’s contract crew assists Yosemite West Fire Safe Committee with fuel reduction projects. The council is accepting applications for when the crew is back in the area.

The mission of the Mariposa County Fire Safe Council is to preserve Mariposa County’s natural and manmade resources by mobilizing all residents to make their homes, neighborhoods, and communities fire safe.

For more information, contact the Mariposa County Fire Safe Council at 966-7700 or visit www.mariposafiresafe.org.