A forest fire fighting project is underway in the Dillon Nature Preserve

A wildfire suppression project to remove dead and fallen trees in the Dillon Nature Preserve is moving forward.

Dillon city staff, Denver Water and the Summerwood Homeowners Association began working on plans for the hazardous fuels containment project last year. The Dillon City Council approved a construction contract with the Beetle Kill Tree Guys for the project at its Aug. 27 meeting.

Scott O'Brien, Dillon's building department director, wrote in a staff memorandum that the goal of the project is to reduce hazardous fuels within a 150-foot boundary between Summerwood's property (about a third of an acre), Denver Water (about 2 acres) and the city of Dillon (about 3 acres). The work will include removing standing dead and fallen trees, removing fuels from ladders, thinning trees and restoring the site, including removing weeds, according to the staff memorandum.

The total cost of the project is $52,000, O'Brien wrote in the memo. The city has received a $24,700 grant from the Summit County Wildfire Council for the project and the remaining costs will be shared by the city, Denver Water and the homeowners association, the memo said. The estimated final cost is $17,220 for Dillon, $11,470 for Denver Water and $1,734 for Summerwood.

Work on the project will begin this month and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.