Living with Fire program expands

The arrival of warm, dry weather is often associated with fire season, but most fire officials point out that wildfires can occur any time of year.

In an effort to increase awareness about what residents can do through the year to reduce fire danger, the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, local, state and federal firefighting agencies are embarking on a six-month-long “Nevada Wildfire Awareness Campaign,” starting this month and through October.

“With the number of wildfires occurring in the West and the havoc they have wreaked in recent years, we just really feel that we need keep the drum beating strong all summer and into fall,” said Extension’s Living With Fire Program Manager Jamie Roice-Gomes. “There is so much information that can help people make their homes and properties safer from the threat of wildfire, and we want to keep people thinking about this, and acting on it, throughout the summer, and really all year.”

As part of the campaign, Extension's Living With Fire Program will be offering a series of webinars on wildfire-related topics.

Living With Fire will present online webinars to help Nevadans learn more about wildland fire issues and how to reduce the wildfire risk.

The program kicks off with wildfire evacuation preparedness 11:30 a.m. May 13 where Carson City Deputy Emergency Manager Jason Danen will talk about emergency notifications and Skyland Fire Adapted Communities’ Leader and Douglas County Community Emergency Response Team Member Ann Grant will discuss items to prepare for an evacuation go bag and a stay box. Register online at bit.ly/WildfireEvacuationPrep.

Other Webinars include:

Perspectives of a Wildland Fire Investigator, 11:30 a.m. May 18.

Fire Mitigation and Education Specialist/Fire Trespass Coordinator Bradley Milam, with the Bureau of Land Management, will share wildfire investigation experiences. Forest Fire Prevention Officer Jennifer Diamond, with the U.S. Forest Service – Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, will share some fire prevention tips. Register online at bit.ly/WildFireInvestigator.

The Timeline of Climate, Weather and Fire, 11:30 a.m. June 10.

Climatology Research Professor Tim Brown, also director of the Western Regional Climate Center, will discuss how weather and climate influence fire in Nevada. Register online at bit.ly/ClimateWeatherFire.

Protect, Prevent and Prepare With NV Energy, noon June 24.

Natural Disaster Protection Plan Director James Saavdra and Director of Delivery Operations Zeina Randall, both with NV Energy, will discuss how NV Energy is working with customers and partners using innovative strategies to reduce the risk of wildfire to Nevadans. Register online at bit.ly/PPPNVEnergy.

Wildfire Smoke and Health, 11:30 a.m. July 8.

Meteorologist and Public Information Officer Chris Smallcomb, from the National Weather Service – Reno office, will discuss smoke forecasting and models used to predict smoke. Air Quality Specialist Brendan Schnieder, with the Washoe County Health District’s Air Quality Management Division, will discuss wildfire smoke and health impacts. Register online at bit.ly/WildfireSmokeHealth.

Home Hardening Q&A, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 12.

Living With Fire will host a question-and-answer workshop with Steve Quarles, who is both University of California Cooperative Extension Advisor Emeritus and the retired Chief Scientist for Wildfire and Durability, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety Research Center. The session will focus on “home hardening,” defined as building or retrofitting homes to withstand wildfire. To watch a previous presentation on this topic, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-g4-kyiDwU. Register for the August online session at bit.ly/HomeHardening.

Reseeding and Flood After Wildfire, 11:30 a.m. Sept. 9.

Forester Anna Higgins with the Nevada Division of Forestry, Ecologist Mark Freese with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, and Project Manager Danae Olson with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will discuss reseeding landscapes, and preparing for potential flood after wildfire. Register online at bit.ly/AfterWildfire.

Prescribed Fire in Tahoe and Nevada, 11:30 a.m. Oct. 14.

Fuels Management Officer Keegan Schafer with Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and Forest Fuels and Vegetation Program Manager Duncan Leao with the U.S. Forest Service – Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will discuss prescribed fire and projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin and Nevada. Register online at bit.ly/RxFireTahoeNV.

For more information on the Nevada Wildfire Awareness Campaign and on how to reduce the wildfire threat, visit LivingWithFire.com or email Roice-Gomes at jamier@unr.edu.