Granger Canyon Fuel Break (2014–2017)

In 2013, MFSC, residents of Surprise Valley, and federal and state partners identified the east slope of the Warner Mountains, from Hwy 299 to Granger Canyon, as a critical fire hazard area. Years of drought, insect kill, and lack of fuels reduction had created dangerous conditions.

In 2014, MFSC was awarded a U.S. Forest Service grant through the California Fire Safe Council. Partnering with CDCR/CalFire Devil’s Garden Conservation Camp, crews constructed a 60‑foot fuel break spanning 4.5 miles from Cedarville’s water tank south to Granger Canyon.

The project removed juniper and shrubs under 15 feet, increased crown spacing, and pruned trees to reduce ladder fuels. Slash was piled for burning or chipped where roads allowed.

During the 2017 Parker 2 Fire, the Granger Canyon Fuel Break was actively used and reinforced with dozers, providing critical protection for foothill residents under evacuation warnings.

A dirt path through a hilly landscape with trees, logs, and a distant view of snow-capped mountains under a cloudy sky.
A grassy field with sparse shrubs and trees, leading to snow-covered mountains under a partly cloudy sky.
A rural landscape with trees, bushes, and cut branches on the ground, with a distant view of a mountain range and a clear sky.
A landscape with pine trees on a grassy hillside, snow patches, and distant mountains under a clear blue sky.
Scenic view of a forested hillside with trees, patches of snow, and distant mountains under a clear sky.
A dirt path through a hilly landscape with trees, logs, and a distant view of snow-capped mountains under a cloudy sky.
A grassy field with sparse shrubs and trees, leading to snow-covered mountains under a partly cloudy sky.
A rural landscape with trees, bushes, and cut branches on the ground, with a distant view of a mountain range and a clear sky.
A landscape with pine trees on a grassy hillside, snow patches, and distant mountains under a clear blue sky.
Scenic view of a forested hillside with trees, patches of snow, and distant mountains under a clear sky.