Photo: Deer Valley Resort

PARK CITY, Utah – In an effort to reduce the potential for a catastrophic wildfire event, Extell Development Company’s fuels reduction program at Deer Valley East Village has now become a guide for successful forest management, community resilience, and environmental stewardship.

As wildfires grow in size and ferocity across Utah, the need to address the root causes has become more urgent than ever. Extell, in partnership with Mountainside Foundation, Wasatch County Fire District and Utah Open Lands, is working to embrace strategies in fuels reduction—a targeted process that monitors the health of the forest and the conservation values as excess vegetation, dead wood, and other combustible materials are removed. These methods aim to mitigate the effects from catastrophic wildfires in forests and grasslands, especially in the wildland-urban interfaces. Through the efforts of Enviro Land Management (ELM) and APEX Fire Preparedness, the fuels reduction program, initiated three years ago, has successfully mitigated 75 acres of forested land, with the goal of adding up to 60 acres annually in the coming years. Additionally, almost 52 miles of fuel breaks have been created which inhibit the spread of wildfire through the property.

Fuels reduction is based on a simple premise to mimic natural ecological process through methods like prescribed burns, mechanical thinning and even removal of invasive species.

Eric Hales, Fire Chief for the Wasatch County Fire District, explains: “Fuels reduction isn’t about removing everything—it’s about restoring balance. Many landscapes have evolved with fire, but decades of suppression have allowed dangerous accumulations. This work is to mimic natural processes and make communities safer.”

The success of the fuels reduction program hinged on collaboration. Staff from Extell, fire personnel, representatives from the Utah Department of Natural Resources and Utah Open Lands worked together to map priority areas and devise strategies tailored to unique ecological needs. The program prioritized transparency and adaptation, adjusting plans in response to monitoring data and community feedback.

The individual projects apply a mosaic approach, leaving patches of untouched forest amid thinned areas, maintaining wildlife corridors and habitats. Sensitive zones, such as riparian buffers and nesting sites, were flagged for preservation. Mechanical thinning removed invasive brush and ladder fuels—vegetation that allows fires to climb from ground to canopy.

The most dramatic outcome has been the reduction in wildfire risk. Data from the Utah Department of Natural Resources show a 70 percent decrease in the average intensity of wildfires in mitigated areas and a 50 percent drop in fire-related property loss. Firefighters report that fires encountering mitigated zones are easier to control, often losing momentum and sparing homes and infrastructure.

Beyond safety, ecological benefits have blossomed. Surveys reveal a marked increase in biodiversity, with native grasses, wildflowers, and pollinators rebounding where dense brush once reigned. “With less invasive species and mimicking the fire regime process we are seeing vegetation, wildlife and plant species starting to reestablish themselves on the property,” notes Wendy Fisher, Executive Director for Utah Open Lands. “Our hope is to create an environment that encourages wildlife and native plant species to flourish.”

Wasatch County Fire District Chief Hales underscores the importance of education: “Fire is inevitable. The question is whether we let it shape us through catastrophe, or whether we shape it through stewardship. Fuels reduction, done thoughtfully, is stewardship in action.”

Plans are underway to expand mitigation of other areas of the Deer Valley East Village in the coming years. According to Evan Conley, Project Manager for Extell, “This is a long-term project with the goal of enhancing up to 1,000 acres of strategically selected forested areas throughout the property”.

Chief Hales sees more than just cleared brush on the property — he sees resilience, renewal, and hope. “Each year, more of the forested areas are mitigated, the long-term risk from catastrophic fire is reduced, and a healthy forest is created” said Hales. “Each enhanced and mitigated area creates another barrier to the spread of a wildfire event, and that is the primary goal”.