Boulder Creek prepares for wildfires with early fire cuts

BOULDER CREEK, Calif. (KION) - With temperatures rising and summer approaching fast, fire prevention work is already underway in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

In Boulder Creek, firefighters and arborists are cutting back trees and clearing brush to reduce the risk of wildfire before the heat of the season sets in.

Crews are focusing on creating defensible space around homes and properties, an effort they say could make the difference between saving a home or losing one.

"Right now we're doing a 150-foot fire reduction to keep the houses safe," Bobby Pilgreen said.

In the mountains of Boulder Creek, fire cutting is in full swing ahead of what could be another dangerous fire season.

"The season fire everything. Like some of these trees back here are burnt at the bottom which makes them really dangerous. So we take those out and we go at least the minimum is like 50 feet away from," Bobby Pilgreen said.

A six-person crew is working steadily cutting down dangerous trees and clearing thick brush. Their goal is to create safer buffer zones around homes which could help slow or stop a wildfire.

"We check that bay trees are really bad for fire. Eucalyptus is really bad for fire. And the chaparral needs to be at least 50 feet behind your house. Cut back," Bobby Pilgreen said.

This isn’t just routine cleanup. Crews are building fire lines that can stop flames before they reach someone's doorstep.

"In Boulder Creek is a big deal to get your fire reduction done early before summer because you don't want to have a fire and then have somebody come up during a fire and cutting it. We did that during the fire. I did a lot of cutting around homes that were getting ready to be on fire," Bobby Pilgreen said.

Boulder Creek you know it's like everybody's in risk so it's better to get your trees and brush cut early than later Bobby Pilgreen said.

"I recommend doing fire cutting around your house at minimum 50 feet minimum," Bobby Pilgreen said.

This three-acre property burned during the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire. Now the landowner is taking no chances.

"This is a three acre parcel here. It burned all the way down to back to the back of this house during the CZU. So all the trees that got burned up there has to go," Bobby Pilgreen said.

"After the fire we've everybody needed all these dead trees cut around their place. There are trees that burned they need to come down. There was quite a few redwoods that got burnt at the bottom so they had to come down," Bobby Pilgreen said.

The problem is that much of the land is still covered with dry dead vegetation left behind from previous wildfires.

"All the stuff that burnt is still dry and alpha. So if we have a little fire this year it's just going to go like a little matchstick," Bobby Pilgreen said.

Crews say the most important thing you can do now is schedule a fire safety assessment and take action before the summer heat and fire danger reach their peak.