Alpine County was awarded $120,810 from the Wildfire Prevention Grants program to support the operation of The Turtle Rock Park Biomass Collection site. The facility provides communities in eastern Alpine County with a place to send green waste and biomass removed while creating defensible space around their properties to reduce the risk of future wildfire damage. By reducing the intensity of future wildfires, defensible space practices also reduce the emission of air pollutants and greenhouse gases.
The collection site supports the treatment of an estimated 190 acres per year, allowing for the collection and composting of 4,000 to 7,000 yards of biomass. In prior years, material cleared to create defensible space around homes, businesses, and infrastructure was burned in piles. Composting this material instead of burning it prevents the release of air pollutants and the release of greenhouse gases.
The success of these efforts was clearly demonstrated during the Tamarack Fire, which was caused by a lightning strike to a tree in July of 2021. The remote location of the initial lightning strike, the exceptionally dry surrounding biomass caused by the historic drought, and strong winds all caused the fire to spread rapidly. Fortunately, the defensible space clearance made possible by the Turtle Rock Park Biomass Collection site saved homes from the fire and helped prevent it from spreading to additional communities.
“Nothing is an isolated event,” said Alpine Fire Safe Council Coordinator Kris Harnett, explaining how defensible space efforts aided in the fight against the Tamarack Fire. “The fire burned completely around Marklee Village and Markleeville, to a great degree the fire activity and its advance burning toward homes in these communities was thwarted due to the diligent efforts by residents practicing defensible space clean-up and hauling to the biomass collection site.”
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection informed Harnett that due to the community’s defensible space efforts, firefighters were able to focus on the fire itself because there was little need to direct equipment and manpower to save homes in the area.