Best time to fight wildfires is before they start

Firefighters have been working around Genoa for the last month to reduce fire hazards as record high temperatures reigned in Carson Valley.

Both East Fork and Tahoe Douglas firefighters have been conducting clean-ups around Nevada’s oldest town under a $215,000 Hazardous Trees and Fuels Management grant from the Nevada Division of Forestry.

Members of the Genoa Peak and Zephyr crews have been inspecting defensible space and prescribing mitigation on 200 private lots covering 208 acres.

While Douglas County has avoided any large conflagrations, the possibility of lighting this weekend after a six days of temperatures of 100 degrees and higher could start new fires.

“Of great concern is the prospect of thunderstorms Friday-Sunday producing new fire starts on the dried out vegetation from this  week-long heat wave,” National Weather Service Reno Meteorologist Mark Deutschendorf said on Monday. “Storms on Friday will be more isolated but have a greater potential for dry strikes with limited moisture in the lower levels. By Saturday, storms will transition to wetter and deeper moisture advection, but the risk of lightning outside the precipitation cores continues. Gusty outflow winds of 40+ mph with thunderstorms will also increase the risk of rapid spread if any new fires are ignited.”

There have already been more than 23,400 wildfires that have burned 2.8 million acres across the United States, according to the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

The Extension’s www.livingwithfire.org program at the University of Nevada, Reno, is reminding Nevadans of information that has been developed in coordination with firefighting agencies and other partners since the program’s inception more than 25 years ago, much of which is now available online.

“We’ve got really good, practical information to help homeowners keep their homes and families safe,” said Program Director Christina Restaino. “We can’t just rely on firefighters to do all the work and put their lives at risk. By doing what we can, we give the firefighters a better chance of saving our homes. We want to encourage people to take a look at the information we’ve got, and chip away at preparing themselves and their properties for wildfire.”

Restaino, who is also an assistant professor and natural resources specialist with the University’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources, says five areas of focus to start with are cheatgrass, defensible space, flying embers, evacuation preparation and wildfire smoke.

1) Remove cheatgrass: Cheatgrass usually dries out quickly and can serve as good kindling for wildfires. Once ignited, and on windy days, these fires can create 8-foot flames traveling at almost 5 miles an hour. After the wet winter, cheatgrass is sure to be growing. Remove all cheatgrass within 30 feet of the home. To learn more about cheatgrass, see the publication A Homeowner’s Guide to Cheatgrass.

2) Create defensible space: Defensible space is when the vegetation around your home has been managed to reduce the threat of wildfire and to allow an area for firefighters to safely defend your home. It is composed of three zones: the ember-resistant zone; the lean, clean and green zone; and the reduced fuel zone:

The ember-resistant zone (0-5 feet from the home): To reduce the threat of ember ignition, it is critical to routinely remove all dead and flammable vegetation within 5 feet of your home. Remove woodpiles, wood mulch, dead leaves, pine needles, twigs, branches, pinecones, and flammable shrubs such as junipers and sagebrush.

The lean, clean and green zone (5-30 feet from the home): The goal of this zone is to prevent fire spreading from the vegetation to the home. The term “lean” means that there is only a small amount of vegetation present in discontinuous islands. “Clean” means that all dead plant material is removed, and “green” means that this area is kept irrigated (if appropriate) during dry months.

The reduced fuel zone (30-100+ feet from the home): In this zone, it’s important to reduce fire spread and fire moving into the crowns, or tops, of trees and shrubs. Remove any ladder fuels, or vegetation that can bring fire from the ground to the tops of trees, such as dead vegetative debris and lower tree branches.

There is no “one size fits all” approach to defensible space, and these tips do not replace the expert advice of a defensible space inspection. To obtain a free defensible space inspection, contact your local fire agency, which you can find here on the Living With Fire website.

For more information on creating defensible space, see the Living With Fire Defensible Space Guide.

3) Reduce the threat of ember ignition to your home: A common way homes ignite is from embers, or pieces of burning material that can travel a mile or more ahead of a fire. Research suggests embers cause up to 90% of home ignitions during wildfires. To reduce the threat of ember ignition to your home:

Ensure that vents are screened with 1/8-inch noncombustible corrosion-resistant metal mesh screening.

Remove all dried leaves, pine needles and other materials from rain gutters.

If you have a roof composed of wood shakes or shingles, consider replacing it, as these roofs are similar to stacking hundreds of pounds of dried kindling on top of your home. Instead, use a Class A-rated roof composed of asphalt fiberglass composition shingles, clay and cementitious tiles (flat and barrel shaped), or some metal roofing materials.

See the publications Be Ember Aware and Wildfire Home Retrofit Guide for more information on reducing the threat of ignition to your home.

4) Be prepared in advance for evacuation: Preparing ahead for evacuation can help you and your household remain calm and safely evacuate, leave your home in a condition that is most conducive to surviving a wildfire, and have the items you need for evacuation and possibly being away from your home for several hours or days. To be prepared for evacuation:

Prepare a “go-bag”: Pack an evacuation go-bag ahead of time to aid in a quick and safe evacuation, should one become necessary.

Review and have on hand the Wildfire Evacuation Checklist, which details actions to take should evacuation become necessary and includes a list of what to have in your go-bag.

Always evacuate when asked to do so by firefighters and officials, and put your safety and the safety of others first.

5) Prepare for wildfire smoke: If smoke is in the air, monitor air quality by checking the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map. To protect yourself from unhealthy conditions:

Stay safe indoors:

Keep all windows closed and turn on the air conditioner.

Create a “clean room,” a room with few windows and doors and no fireplace that is a large enough room for your family and a portable air cleaner or air purifier.

Avoid creating additional smoke or particulate matter in the home.

Protect yourself from smoke if you must be outdoors:

Use a P100 or N95 respirator while outdoors.

Reduce strenuous activities and take breaks.

Stay hydrated. Adequate hydration keeps your airway lubricated, which keeps you safer from health impacts related to smoke.

Consult with your doctor for medical advice, especially if you have heart or lung disease, or asthma.

For more on how to prepare for wildfire smoke and protect your health, see the publication Living With Smoke: How to Be Prepared for Smoke Exposure.

For more information, contact Restaino at restainoc@unr.edu.