Three new large-scale community defense zones to help reduce the wildfire danger in Nevada County are moving forward. The Board of Supervisors has approved three so-called Shaded Fuel Break projects. That includes Phase 2 of the Ponderosa, West Grass Valley Defense Zone. Cal Fire Division Chief Jim Mathias told the Board it will add another 300 treated acres…

click to listen to Jim Mathias

The project is expected to be completed by September of 2024. Then there’s the Woodpecker Ravine Shaded Fuel Break, which would treat 410 acres of private property along key evacuation routes, including Rattlesnake, Lower Colfax, and Mount Olive Roads. It will continue through March of 2026. Mathias says another key benefit to the work is reducing the heat of a wildfire…

click to listen to Jim Mathias

The Board also approved the South County Shaded Fuel Break. It covers 339 acres near Alta Sierra. It will include evacuation routes, by addressing heavy fuels within 75 feet of either side on parts of Lodestar, Buck Mountain, and Brewer Roads, as well as Sharmiden Way. It’s also expected to be completed in March of 2026.