Posted by : Matt Wilcox  On September 22nd, 2025 11:39 am

      

Tucson, AZ (9/22/2025) – Starting Monday, September 22, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) begins the Yellow Jacket fuels reduction project near Arivaca to proactively increase community wildfire resilience and enhance ecological health for the Altar Valley.

Project work includes 61 acres of hand thinning operations to create shaded fuel breaks to support wildfire risk reduction and create healthier landscapes. Crews create shaded fuel breaks by removing dense, low-lying fuels like grasses, shrubs, and young trees from an area. They also cut low hanging limbs from trees, while leaving the largest and healthiest trees. In addition, crews will remove ground fuels to reduce the chances of fire moving up into the treetops thus minimizing the potential for torching and crowning. These purposefully designed fuel breaks help reduce catastrophic wildfire to nearby communities while retaining the ecological benefits large, healthy trees provide.

The project consists of two units. Unit 1, along Ruby Road and south of Arivaca, crews will create a 13-acre fuel break on both sides of the road to help reduce the chances for roadside fires. Unit 2 includes a 48-acre shaded fuel break on State Trust land north of Arivaca to help protect the town. DFFM Foresters consulted with the agency’s Fire Division to ensure strategic placement of the breaks to effectively reduce the threat of catastrophic fire impacting the community. These fuel breaks can also provide a safe, working space for firefighters to engage with suppression efforts.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year pending no delays due to weather or resource availability. Drivers should use caution along Ruby Road as crew will be working alongside the roadway.

For more information contact Public Information Officer Matthew Wilcox (602-556-6502) or by email at mwilcox@dffm.az.gov.