Six agencies across Western North Carolina gathered on December 16, 2021 at Camp Grier in McDowell County to reduce hazardous fuels around 4 camp structures. This created defensible space against potential wildfire ignition around the structures. Teams cut vegetation that was 4-6” within 30 feet from the Hemlock dining hall, Dogwood cabin, Rhododendron cabin, and Holly cabin. Anything more than 4-6” was limbed at least 6 feet off the ground. The brush was chipped and spread throughout the surrounding forest. Leaves and debris were blown 30 feet from the structures, as well as their gutters cleaned out (where present).
Before, during, and after fuel treatment behind dining hall structure.
Before, during, and after fuel treatment beside a cabin.
A total of 130 cubic yards of hazardous fuels was removed from the area, protecting these structures from potential ignition from wildfire. That's over 10 dump trucks full of debris!
Watch the time-lapse below to see the crews cutting brush and dragging it to the chipper:
To find out more about mitigation and what you can do to reduce your home's wildfire risk by visiting our Forest Resource page here or contacting us at wildfire@mountainvalleysrcd.org.
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