programs

Fire & Fuels - Orleans/Somes Bar Fire Safe Council

Fuels Reduction Controlled Burn

MKWC conducts wildfire safety and fuels reduction work via the Orleans/Somes Bar Fire Safe Council (OSB FSC), a local chapter of the California Fire Safe Council that serves the Mid Klamath area from near Weitchpec to Dillon Creek.

Established in 2001, the mission of the OSB FSC is to help plan, implement and monitor the reinstatement of historic fire regimes, primarily through strategic fuels reduction, in a manner that protects life, property, improves forest health, and enhances the resources valued by its stakeholders.

Since 2001, the OSB FSC has secured nearly $1 million dollars to conduct hazard fuels reduction, prescribed burning and wildfire prevention planning in the Wildland Urban Interface. To date we have treated nearly 500 acres and coordinated over 30 volunteer workdays on private property throughout our planning area. We are currently working on our Orleans/Somes Bar Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which outlines a course of action over the next ten years and beyond for protecting our communities from wildfire. Learn more about our prescribed burning program.

The OSB FSC hosts many volunteer workdays to reduce fuel hazards around homes, burn debris left over from fuels reduction work, conduct prescribed burns and remove noxious weeds. If you would like to be notified when we are having a workday, please contact our office.

The OSB FSC has regular bi-monthly meetings at the Panamnik Building in Orleans on the first Monday of the month from 6pm-8pm. These meetings are open to the public and include updates on fire planning efforts from the USFS, Karuk Tribe Fire Program, OSB FSC, and Orleans Volunteer Fire Department.

The powerpoint presentations from the 2008 Klamath Fire Ecology Symposium are now available on our KFES page.