Funded by: County of Napa
Delta hand crews are working within the Berryessa Pines subdivision along Berryessa Drive to reduce wildfire risk for nearby residents. Crews are thinning small diameter trees and brush, removing ladder fuels, and clearing around structures, fire roads, and the perimeter of the community. This detailed work provides a defensible space buffer that reduces the chance of wildfire spread and improves firefighter access.
Why Hand Crews Matter
While heavy equipment is essential for large-scale fuel breaks, hand crews provide the precision needed in neighborhoods and along critical infrastructure. Their work targets the areas machinery can’t safely or effectively reach, delivering detailed treatments that make a big difference in community protection.
Here’s what crews are doing in Berryessa Pines:
- Thinning small diameter trees and brush to break up continuous fuels.
- Removing ladder fuels — the vegetation that can carry flames from the ground into tree canopies.
- Clearing around homes and fire access roads, where precision is critical to protect structures and improve firefighter safety.
- Stacking or chipping cut materials to reduce debris and safely dispose of hazardous fuels.
Community Impact
By focusing on both the perimeter of the subdivision and the areas immediately around homes and fire roads, this project is creating a defensible space buffer that reduces the chance of wildfire spread. The result is not only greater protection for individual properties but also stronger overall resilience for the entire Berryessa Pines community.