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Mono County readies air‑curtain burner and wood‑waste voucher program; federal wildfire grant delayed
Summary
County staff described a commercial air‑curtain burner staged at Pumice Valley, plans for community cleanups and wood‑waste vouchers distributed through fire chiefs, and a $4.6 million Community Wildfire Defense Grant that is delayed by federal processing but expected this fiscal year.
Mono County staff updated the Board of Supervisors on May 19 about plans to expand local green‑waste handling and community fuel‑reduction events using air‑curtain burners and chippers.
Public Works reported that a commercial air‑curtain burner purchased with CAL FIRE wildfire prevention grant funds is staged at Pumice Valley Landfill and that the county will apply for Great Basin APCD permitting (30‑day public notice) before operation; staff said the goal is to burn as much as 5,000 tons per year and to extend landfill life by decades. The county plans community cleanup events and will train a certified operator to meet permit opacity limits.
Wildfire coordinator Wendy Grisevski told the board the county also applied for and expects a $4.6 million US Forest Service Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) that would fund a mobile burner (the “burn boss”), two chippers, and scheduling for repeated community cleanups across 15 communities. Grisevski said grant execution is delayed by Forest Service staffing and she estimated equipment and pilots could arrive this fall after the grant is executed; in the meantime the county is piloting scheduling, outreach and smaller grants to Firewise/Fire Safe Councils.
Board members pressed staff about timing, CEQA and outreach to local fire districts for voucher distribution; staff said vouchers are issued to fire chiefs who then distribute them to community members and that the county is preparing RFPs, communications and scheduling so cleanups can proceed as soon as permits and grant agreements are in place. Supervisors urged staff to keep a schedule and not let momentum stall while they wait on federal funds.
Staff said the county will also explore shared cooperative purchases for chippers and coordination with town partners to maximize capacity.
