Chester News: 60.5-Acre Wildfire Fuel Reduction Planned Around Chester and Lake Almanor

CHESTER NEWS | VERIFIED LOCAL REPORT • OCTOBER 2026

The Feather River Resource Conservation District filed a January 9, 2026 environmental notice for a 60.5-acre fuels-treatment project within and around Chester and Lake Almanor in Plumas County. The work focuses on reducing the vegetation that can allow a ground fire to spread into tree crowns.

What officials have documented

According to the state record, treatment crews would use mastication to reduce small conifers up to 12 inches in diameter and much of the surface vegetation. The project specifies treatment of approximately 80 percent of surface fuels in the applicable units and a goal of creating separation between surface fuels and lower live conifer crowns. The prescription seeks horizontal and vertical breaks in fuel, not removal of all mature trees.

Why the community should follow it

Chester and Lake Almanor communities face difficult wildfire questions after years of major fires in the northern Sierra. A fuel-treatment notice should not be read as a claim that all 60.5 acres have been completed or that individual properties are guaranteed protection. The district’s map and implementation schedule are important follow-ups.

Next steps and local questions

Residents can request treatment-unit boundaries, work dates, safeguards for habitat and erosion, and later completion reports. Chester News will follow confirmed on-the-ground work and publish corrections supported by the responsible agencies.

Official source

Feather River Resource Conservation District — Plumas Disadvantaged Communities: Chester.

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