Placer County Emergency Fuels Reduction Project - Placer Resource Conservation District

Beginning around December 10, 2021 a series of winter storm systems struck California bringing substantial precipitation, including record-breaking snowfall, damaging winds, and flooding. These storms affected communications and other critical infrastructure, resulted in power outages to thousands of households and businesses and caused trees and limbs to fall, damaging structures and obstructing major highways and local roads including primary corridors into the Tahoe Basin. These storms resulted in the threat of mud and debris flows, particularly on burn scars from recent wildfires including the River Fire in Placer and Nevada Counties. The existence of the conditions caused by the winter storms present an ongoing threat to the safety of persons and property in Placer County.

This project prioritized areas that were severely damaged due to storm damage in an area that covers approximately 105,544 acres in eastern Placer County. The project aims to minimize storm impacts from downed trees and limbs by converting aerial fuels to ground fuel and/or removal, collection, and disposal of woody debris. Priority areas are in eastern Placer County from approximately 1800 to 4500 feet elevation. Priority treatment locations were determined by key partners including CALFIRE and Placer County, with the primary focus on impacted roadways.

The project will help to mitigate fire behavior, improve community evacuation routes, and ensure the safety of first responders by conducting fuels reduction on ingress and egress routes.