Oracle Fuel Break in the Santa Catalina Ranger District - USDA Forest Service

The Coronado National Forest announces the Oracle Fuel Break project, a strategic wildfire prevention initiative scheduled from October 2025 through April 2026.

This comprehensive forest management project will create a 300-foot fuel break covering 60 acres directly south of Oracle, Arizona. The initiative aims to protect the town from wildfire damage by modifying fire behavior rather than stopping fires completely. The project includes two phases: chip-and-haul operations for 34 acres and windrow creation for 26 acres, with maintenance required every 2-3 years.

• Creates strategic anchor points for firefighting operations during prescribed burns and wildland fires
• Establishes sustainable fuel management through periodic brush removal and ladder fuel thinning
• Part of the larger 265,000-acre Catalina-Rincon Mountains FireScape restoration project
• Demonstrates proactive forest stewardship combining wildfire suppression with ecosystem health preservation