Volunteers partnering with fire managers to reduce wildfire threat in Fruita
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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Volunteers are needed to help reduce fuel for wildfires in the Little Salt Wash in Fruita Saturday, May 4.
The Lower Valley Fire Protection District, City of Fruita and the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit are sponsoring this event as part of the statewide Wildfire Preparedness Day of Service.
Volunteers will meet at 8 a.m. at Dean Court, near K 6/10 Road and 18 Road. Bring work clothes, gloves, eye protection, rakes, loppers or other tools to help remove dead and down wood, brush, leaves and weeds.
“The large amount of vegetation in Little Salt Wash poses a significant threat to homes throughout Fruita,” said Doug Paul, Wildfire Mitigation and Education Specialist. “We hope to help begin reducing this threat Saturday, as well as raise awareness about the risk and the additional steps we will be taking to reduce that risk.”
Volunteers already committed to this effort include employees from the City, local fire departments, and Bureau of Land Management, as well as students from Mesa University and neighborhood HOA members.
For more information, call the Lower Valley Fire Protection District, 970-858-3133 or Doug Paul 970-257-4820.
The City of Fruita will be continuing this effort to reduce fuels in Little Salt Wash this summer with the Western Colorado Conservation Corps.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.