BUTTE COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Residents of Magalia in the Paradise Pine Property Owners Association will be seeing smoke from fire safety efforts in the coming weeks. Aside from private landowners burning their own vegetation, the Butte County Fire Safe Council has undertaken a fuels reduction projects in the Layfayette Circle and Middle Butte Creek area. Over 60 acres of densely vegetated land has been thinned by the efforts of the California Conservation Crew, Butte Fire Center and local contractors using hand tools and saws. “The purpose and goal of the thinning project was to increase forest health by removing competing vegetation while also promoting public safety by removing hazardous fuels”, says Jeff Gould, Project Manager with the Butte County Fire Safe Council. The hand crews targeted dead and down fuels but also removed overly dense small diameter trees that could facilitate a ground fire jumping into the surrounding canopy. Similar thinning and piling was completed in Forest Ranch off of Schott and Crown Point Rd, and residents there can anticipate similar pile burning to be conducted in the coming months. For more information contact Jeff Gould at 530-877-0984.