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2020 Fuel Break Projects Along Ebbetts Pass

A Bright Spot in a Very Bad Year

2020 has been universally declared the worst year in memory. But along the Ebbetts Pass Corridor, there is a bit of good news.

First of all, we did NOT have a wildfire in our area this fire season. Yes, we had to contend with smoke from the terrible fires in the rest of the state, but we were spared, and that is something to be grateful for.

The other bright spot, and the point of this article, is that our corridor has received several grants to develop or complete fuel breaks in the area. Over the past several years a network of fuel breaks along the Ebbetts Pass Corridor has been planned, coordinated, and implemented by several agencies, including CAL FIRE, the US Forest Service, the Calaveras Foothill Fire Safe Council, The Calaveras Amador Forestry Team, The Calaveras County Resource Conservation District, Sierra Pacific Industries, homeowners’ associations, and private landowners.

Fuel breaks are usually strips of land about 300 yards wide, often along ridgetops, that are cleared of dead and dying trees and other vegetation that can feed and accelerate fires. The goal is to break up fuel continuity to eliminate the fuel chain between structures and surrounding forest vegetation. The breaks are placed to provide firefighting teams strategic access and staging areas to effectively stop wildfires before they destroy homes and critical structures. These fuel breaks have the potential to save lives and property and preserve our beautiful community.

Read the full report: 

2020 Fuel Break Projects Along Ebbetts Pass.pdf