Mass Timber
Rebuilding Fire-Affected Communities with Mass Timber for a Stronger Future
The Problem: As wildfires intensify and threaten rural areas, how can we rebuild communities to better withstand future fire events?
Over the past 20 years, 63% of Plumas County’s landscape has burned in wildfires. In August of 2021, the one-million-acre Dixie Fire swept through Indian Valley, decimating the towns of Greenville and Indian Falls along with Canyon Dam and the Warner Valley community, among others.
Our Strategy
Mosaic Timber – The State’s First CLT Facility
Located at the Indian Valley Wood Utilization Campus in Crescent Mills, Mosaic Timber is slated to be California’s first Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) manufacturing operation, aiming to be in production in mid-2026. Built from small-diameter wood harvested through forest restoration, CLT is an innovative and climate-smart construction material.
Why Use CLT?
Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) is a strong, innovative wood product made by layering and gluing boards at right angles to form thick, solid panels. It’s ideal for regions like ours that face both wildfires and earthquakes. CLT can also be made from small-diameter trees from forest restoration projects—supporting wildfire resilience and sustainable land management.
Because CLT panels are prefabricated, buildings can go up quickly—sometimes in just a few days. And even though it’s made of wood, CLT is naturally fire-resistant. Its thick, compressed layers limit oxygen inside, and if exposed to flame creates a char layer resistant to burning.
This process is similar to a tree that chars on the outside during a wildfire but remains solid inside after burning. Additional layers like mineral wool insulation and fire-resistant siding help further protect a building from extreme fire. The result: a fire-resistant, climate-smart structure built for the challenges of the West.
Built on Partnership and Purpose
Mosaic Timber is a collaboration with some of the nation’s leading CLT innovators. Together, we’re building the foundation for a wildfire-resilient, forest-friendly housing future and community-scale production to build local regenerative economies here and elsewhere.
Our Goals
- Forest Restoration: Use wood from fire-prone landscapes
- Green Building: Supply sustainable, carbon-smart construction materials
- Rural Revitalization: Bring skilled jobs to Plumas County and rebuild economies
- Disaster Recovery: Rebuild communities after wildfires
Innovation You Can See
Mosaic Timber’s facility will feature:
- A CLT manufacturing line for single and multifamily housing, and commercial infrastructure
- A CLT demonstration building showcasing the strength and design potential of mass timber
- Partnerships with California developers to bring fire-hardened housing to vulnerable areas
Rebuilding After the Dixie Fire
The 2021 Dixie Fire devastated Indian Valley and other rural towns. Mosaic Timber is part of the solution—producing affordable, fire-hardened housing for fire survivors and demonstrating a new model of recovery and resilience rooted in sustainable wood utilization. Using CLT, the Sierra Institute has already built three new houses in the heavily impacted town of Greenville. Manufacturing panels for quick and sustainable home construction at our Wood Utilization Campus will increase regional capacity to continue rebuilding, as well as provide panels for construction elsewhere.
Mosaic Timber represents a critical step in restoring forests, rethinking wood utilization, and strengthening California’s mass timber industry.
Learn more about how CLT is shaping the future of sustainable construction and wildfire-resilient communities:
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