Firefighters are urging residents to leave fireworks to the professionals this July Fourth.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
It didn’t take long for firefighters to lasso a half-acre lighting-caused wildfire on Friday, but it is a clear indication of the threat ignition sources pose in the Sierra Front.
A lightning bolt can heat the air around it to 50,000 degrees, which is warmer than the surface of the sun. That’s a lot hotter than a simple sparkler, but at up to 3,000 degrees, there’s plenty of heat to set vegetation ablaze.
Possessing, igniting, discharging, or using any kind of fireworks is prohibited in Douglas County and on the public lands in the Sierra Front.
“Setting off fireworks in the forest is not only illegal but can also result in wildfires," said Forest Fire Management Officer Gwen Sanchez. “Despite the recent moisture across the state, grasses and other fine fuels are exhibiting signs of drying out, therefore ignitions can occur rapidly. We want visitors to come out and enjoy their public lands but leave the fireworks at home." Sanchez encourages Forest visitors to check with local communities for fireworks displays.
The use or possession of fireworks on public lands is subject to confiscation and even steeper fines of up to $5,000 and six months in jail. In addition, anyone found responsible for starting a wildfire can be held civilly and criminally liable.
That’s steeper than the up to $1,000 fine county residents could face if caught setting off fireworks.
Anyone with concerns about someone selling or using fireworks, call the nonemergency dispatch number at 775-782-5126.
For information about properly disposing of fireworks, call East Fork Fire Protection District at 775-782-9040.
With professional fireworks shows conducted across Western Nevada there are far cheaper alternatives.
Stateline’s nationally recognized Lights on the Lake is the largest, but Carson City, Virginia City and Reno-Sparks all host big shows on July Fourth.
The ban on fireworks in the Sierra Front isn’t new. It’s been in place for 71 years across Douglas County and even longer in the towns.
“The ban previously applied only to the unincorporated towns in the county and to the area embraced by the Lake Tahoe fire protection district,” according to the April 25, 1952, edition of The Record-Courier.
A previous ordinance affecting the towns of Gardnerville, Minden and Genoa was approved in 1938.
In the 1950s, the penalty was a fine between $5 and $200, 30 days in jail or both.
It has been nine years since a half-dozen firefighters were injured after someone started a 250-acre wildfire near the top of Minnehaha Canyon.
