Yavapai County encourages everyone to be alert and follow all warning signs when traveling through Williamson Valley Road during the fuels reduction project.

Starting the week of August 12, the Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) will begin working on a 263-acre fuels reduction project located 9 miles northwest of Prescott and 2 ½ miles southeast of the community of Williamson. The Granite Oaks project takes place on State Trust land as part of the department’s prioritized community protection through hazardous fuels reduction.

Project work takes place along the east and west sides of Williamson Valley Road

The road runs through the project from Scarlet Road on the north end, Granite Oaks Drive to the east, and Buchanan Drive and Vista Lanes to the west. The project sits adjacent to the Prescott National Forest on the south end. Residents in the area should be mindful of heavy equipment traveling along Williamson Valley Road. Project managers expect no road closures or traffic impacts. However, drivers along the road should use caution as part of the project sits along Williamson Valley Road.

Yavapai County Board of Supervisors Chairman Craig Brown said, “This is a project I have been working on for years and am excited to see this important work begin. It is long overdue and will continue the work Yavapai County does to bring fire protection where it is needed most.”

The goal of the Granite Oaks project is to reduce the connectivity of dense and hazardous fuels within the wildland urban interface through mastication work

Masticators are heavy pieces of equipment used to break apart and chip vegetation, such as shrubs and small, woody trees. This strategically designed plan allows for safer and more manageable fire suppression operations. Most importantly, these projects protect communities from catastrophic wildfire.

DFFM is also working on another mastication project in Yavapai County, south of Prescott Valley and southeast of the Stoneridge neighborhood

Charcoal Gulch is a 600-acre fuels reduction project also designed for wildfire risk reduction and community protection. Projects like Charcoal Gulch and Granite Oaks protect communities, provide firefighters with a manageable and safe area to work from and help slow a fire’s spread and intensity.

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