Fire Projects In Murphys And San Andreas Receive State Money
San Andreas, CA — Two projects in Calaveras County will be funded by the latest round of fire prevention projects funded by CAL Fire.
We reported earlier that 94 projects state projects, totaling $90-million, will receive state money.
The Calaveras Foothills Fire Safe Council is receiving $270,000 for the “Historic Murphys Last Chance Fuel Break” project. The group will be doing a two-mile-long roadside fuel break west of Murphys and east of Angels Camp.
In awarding the money, CAL Fire reports, “This project is a mastication project which will utilize treatments that eliminate the vertical and horizontal continuity of vegetative fuels for the purpose of reducing the rate of fire spread and avoiding crown fires. The fuels are heavy in several drainages along Murphys Grade Rd. The fuels consist of brush, grass oak woodland and timber overstory. This transition area contributes to the very high fire danger area. The history of large damaging fires in the area, assets at risk, geographic alignment of the community of Murphys, and landowner support makes this an important project to fund.”
Also, $653,408 is coming to the Calaveras County Resource Conservation District for a San Andreas fuel break. The 160-acre planned project is directly north of San Andreas and is designed to help protect the county seat, its government offices, and businesses like Mark Twain Medical Center.
CAL Fire reports, “. The fuel break is a critical stopping point preventing the active wildfire from spreading into and burning down the town of San Andreas. A built and defensible fuel break in this location will provide protection from another wildfire burning in the almost decade-old Butte Fire burn scar, full of dense brush ready to burn again.”
