Brunswick Canyon fire quickly contained Friday in Carson City

A 5-acre wildfire near the old mill in Brunswick Canyon was quickly contained Friday afternoon.

Carson City Fire Chief Sean Slamon said the call came in about 1:30 p.m. and the fire was contained about 2:30.

Crews remained on scene to complete mop up work for several hours.

Nearly 50 air and ground crews from the Nevada Division of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management and Carson City Fire Department responded.

No homes were threatened or injuries were reported, though the gun range off of Rifle Range Road was closed to make room for crews and helicopters.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, however the Carson City Fire Department investigator was on scene to determine what started the blaze.

While 2017 has been the fourth wettest on record, according to the National Weather Service, the risk of wildfires hasn’t diminished. The wet winter brought a large crop of cheatgrass that will dry out with the warm summer days, creating additional ground fuels.

The fire was just a few days after East Fork Fire Capt. Terry Taylor said firefighters doing investigation training at Minden-Tahoe Airport noted the grass is ready to burn.

As part of the course, firefighters use various means to light fires.

“Even though it was wet out, at 2 p.m. we were getting 80 percent ignition with the devices we use,” he said.

“It blew us all away. We threw a road flare into a little bit of sage brush that was soaking wet and got 8-10-foot flame lengths. It will burn if there’s something dry underneath.”

With the addition of ground fuels, it’s important for residents to create defensible space around their homes in case a fire does break out.

East Fork Fire Chief Tod Carlini said there are still lots of places where homes meet the wildland that have significant fuels.

“If there’s one thing, we want people to consider the defensible space around their homes,” he said. “It’s one thing people can do to help us help them.”

Carlini said defensible space is critical to helping firefighters protect homes in a big fire.

“Otherwise, we have to make some tough decisions, and we don’t like having to do that.”

East Fork Battalion Chief Larry Goss said the best way to avoid a big fire isn’t to let one start in the first place.

“It all boils down to starts,” he said. “We want people to be careful with what they’re doing on a daily basis, such as using chainsaws and doing other things in light fuels.”

Residents can prepare for fire season by clearing away brush and other flammable material from 30 feet around their homes.

For information on how to prepare for wildfires, visit www.livingwithfire.com.