It may have been the hottest day of the year so far, but that didn’t stop 30 workers from wielding shovels, saws, clippers and chippers Thursday as they helped build a mile-long fire break near Paradise.
Following the route of an abandoned flume just down from the top of the ridge, workers from Cal Fire, a private contractor and county parolees have spent the last week slashing combustible brush like French and Scotch broom, along with low-hanging branches and tightly bunched young trees. The shaded fuel break being constructed leaves comparatively fire resistant mature trees intact while removing the low-level fuel that helps fire climb into a canopy level inferno. Shade from the mature trees will also prevent and slow the growth of fire vulnerable new shrubs and bushes.
The effort is a project of the Butte County Fire Safe Council and funded grants from Pacific Gas & Electric Company. Due to the topography — Paradise commands a ridgetop flanked by two deep canyons — there’s always a concern about wildfire.
Calli-Jane DeAnda, executive director of the Butte Fire Safe Council, said the wildfire that raced through Concow several years back made many residents much more aware of their vulnerability.
“Because the fires in 2008 did burn right down to the river on the other side of Paradise, there is concern that something could have spot or ran up this area in these drainages,” she said.
During that blaze, authorities evacuated Feather River Hospital, DeAnda said.
While firefighters managed to block the flames at the West Branch of the Feather River last time, past performance is no guarantee of future results.