Lake City is a small community of about 70 residents on the east side of the Warner Mountains, served entirely by a volunteer fire department. The community sits in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and a fuel break originally established by the BLM in 2006 has grown in and no longer provides adequate protection.

MFSC is developing a project to reestablish and expand this fuel break to current CAL FIRE standards, treating approximately 265 acres around the community through mechanical and manual thinning. The project is designed to protect homes, improve conditions for safe evacuation and firefighter access, and reduce the risk of fire moving between the community and the surrounding landscape.

Project development is led by MFSC in partnership with local landowners and Jefferson Resource Company, with the Modoc Resource Conservation District serving as the lead agency for environmental review. Project development and coordination are funded through the California Fire Safe Council's County Coordinator (COCO) program, which supports MFSC's Wildfire Mitigation Coordinator position. Environmental surveys and review are underway, funded through a grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program.

Funding applications for project implementation are pending with state agencies. Check back for updates as this project moves toward implementation.