Posted by : Tiffany Davila  On September 15th, 2025 2:32 pm

      

Phoenix, AZ ( 9/15/2025 ) – The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) begins a new fuels reduction project in Maricopa County, continuing efforts to protect Arizona’s residents and critical infrastructure and improve the health of State Trust land.

Work will begin on the Reach 11 project, located near the Loop 101 and State Route 51 interchange on September 15 th. This project is intended to reduce fuel loading to mitigate wildland fire risk. The Phoenix Fire Department has responded to 49 human caused or human suspected fires near the project area over the past few years. The project is located on 155 acres of State Trust land, near the Reach 11 Recreation Area. The majority of work will be focused in and around washes, where vegetation is the densest. Crews will treat the area by hand, removing invasive species and low hanging tree limbs. At the end of the project, the area will be reseeded with native plants to maintain high quality habitat. The chosen plants also aid in preventing the spread of new invasive species and will provide habitat for native pollinators. This restoration will return the area to a traditional Sonoran desert ecosystem, with clumps of plants interspersed with bare ground. Bare soil helps the Sonoran desert resist wildfire by removing available fuel and reducing the possibility of spread. Invasive species, such as buffelgrass, red brome, and stinknet, fill in these natural gaps and allow fire to burn continuously through an area.

 

Visitors to the Reach 11 Recreation Area should be aware of crews working in the area. Impacts to recreationists will be minimal as there will be no heavy equipment utilized, strictly hand work. Assuming no delays for weather or fire restrictions, the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025.