Dragoon Fuels Reduction Project
The Tuolumne Fire Safe Council (TFSC) was awarded a grant in December 2024 to treat fuels and widen the fuel break around the Dragoon Gulch hiking area and reduce hazardous fuels nearby. This grant-funded project will significantly increase wildfire safety for surrounding communities, including Sonora Knolls, Gibbs Ranch, and Racetrack Road.
The Dragoon Fuels Reduction Project will treat approximately 90 acres using a combination of mastication and hand work. Mastication will be performed along the dozer line/fire break originally constructed during the 2021 Washington Fire. This treatment will remove vegetation that has regrown since the fire, clean up edges to improve the viewscape, enhance aesthetics, and ensure the fire break remains effective in protecting adjacent properties.
Additional hand thinning will be conducted to establish shaded fuel breaks along private property lines and along Racetrack Road. Shaded fuel breaks do not remove all vegetation or disturb the soil but instead reduce fuel loads while preserving a natural, park-like appearance that is both functional and visually appealing.
Landowner agreements are anticipated to be secured in spring and summer 2025, allowing for the necessary access and coordination. Treatment implementation is scheduled for late fall 2025, ensuring optimal seasonal conditions for fuel reduction work.
The total estimated cost of the project is just over $500,000. Funding is provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE) Wildfire Prevention Grants Program, under the California Climate Investments initiative. For more information send an email to info@tuolumnefiresafe.org.
