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National Fire Plan Success Story

87 Dozer Lines
Ukonom Ranger District, Klamath National Forest
National Fire Plan - Firefighting
2007

The 87 Dozer Line project focuses on treating selected dozer firelines constructed during the King Titus Fire (over 60,000 acres) of 1987. These segments of firelines ranged from approximately .2 to 2 miles long, and were constructed along ridges and roads and are adjacent to two areas of private property. Fireline widths varied from approximately 20 to 110 feet and located at elevations ranging from approximately 760 to 3690 feet. The private property adjacent to the firelines is within the community of Somes Bar, which is listed as a "community at risk from wildfire" in the 2001 Federal Register.

During the 1987 King Titus Fire, fireline slash was piled throughout the lines and in safety zones. Many of these piles were not burned and are now falling apart and covered with brush. These firelines have 21 years of brush and scattered hardwood and conifer growth. The predominant brush species includes deer brush, manzanita, tanoak, and snowbrush. The hardwood component is comprised mainly of tanoak, Pacific madrone, chinquapin, Oregon white oak, canyon live oak, Bay, and big leaf maple. Conifers include Douglas-fir, white fire, ponderosa pine, sugar pine and incense cedar.

Fuel treatments for this 50-acre project include reducing surface fuel loading, ladder fuels and vegetation density. This fuel treatment would reduce future wildfire intensity and flame lengths of surface fires within the firelines and reduce the potential for surface fires to become crown fires, thereby improving the ability to protect both public lands and private property. This treatment would also serve to make these firelines more effective for use in future fire-suppression efforts.

The Orleans/Somes Bar Fire Safe Council and Karuk Tribe identified these dozer lines as areas of concern. These two groups recognized the potential for these dozer lines to serve as "wicks" of high fire hazard leading up to and adjacent to private property.

Implementation Plan and Accomplishment to Date: The Orleans/Somes Bar Fire Safe Council has implemented fuel reduction work on adjacent private property. Implementation of Forest Service fuel treatments began in 2007, with work being conducted through a contract with the Karuk Tribe. To date, 40 acres have been treated by brushing and handpiling. Handpile burning is scheduled to begin in 2008, and expected to be completed by 2009.

Contact: Stan Pfister, Fuels Specialist, spfister@fs.fed.us