Wildfire Awareness Campaign underway in Nevada

Nevada’s Wildfire Awareness Campaign runs from May until October this year and the importance of this push to highlight the dangers and educate the public on the causes of wildfires has only been underscored by the two recent fires in Southern Nevada, one near Sandy Valley and another in Red Rock Canyon.

“In Nevada, we know all too well that wildfires can occur at any time,” the website Living With Fire details. “There is no longer a ‘wildfire season’, and residents must prepare now and stay prepared throughout the year.”

Living with Fire is a collaborative effort between federal, state and local firefighting agencies and resource management agencies which, as its name implies, focuses on raising awareness about wildfires so that the public can take the proper precautions to prevent them and be ready in case a fire threatens their area.

“Assisted by grant funds from the Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Division of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension coordinates Nevada Wildfire Awareness Campaign each year. Additional funding from program patterns, support from corporate sponsors and other in-kind funding all contribute to the effort,” the website states.

The University of Nevada, Reno Extension has been hosting this campaign since 2006 but in the past, it was only observed for one month. This year, the campaign has been extended to include all of the months of May through October, when weather in the state, including high temperatures and extremely dry conditions, increases the risk of wildfires. This year, Nevada is also in a severe drought, which serves to ratchet up the risk of blazes catching and spreading across the parched desert land.

“Wildfire can threaten Nevadan communities and impact homes, property and human life. The key to minimizing the wildfire impact in Nevada is proactive communities that take steps to prepare and become fire adapted,” information from Living with Fire explains.

The document provides a list of several suggestions to help residents prepare for the potential of a wildfire, including:

■ Keeping the first five feet away from residences free of combustible materials

■ Completing a home inventory, preparing an evacuation plan and preparing an evacuation go-bag

■ Connecting with neighbors to encourage community projects to help reduce wildfire threat

■ Checking areas where burning embers might accumulate on a property during a wildfire

In addition to preparation, prevention is absolutely key and as the famous Smokey the Bear says, “Only you can prevent wildfires.”

As detailed by Nevada Fire Info, approximate 84% of all wildfires nationwide are caused by people. In fact, the recent Sandy Valley area fire was contributed to target shooting and the Red Rock Canyon fire is also reported to have been caused by human activity.

While tossing a lit cigarette out of the car window or carelessly dropping one on the ground is one of the more obvious no-nos, there are many other activities and actions that can cause enormous devastation by creating a spark that lights a blaze.

For instance, many motorists fail to consider where they are parking or pulling off of the road, which can in and of itself be a hazard when driving through areas that are populated with dry vegetation. It is important to ensure that when coming to a stop or parking, that vehicles are not stationary above desiccated plants, as the heat from the underside of vehicles can easily set them alight. Those driving with chains can also inadvertently cause a fire if their chains are left to drag along the ground.

Other common causes of wildfires sparked by humans include campfires that are not properly maintained or extinguished, target shooting as in the case of the Sandy Valley fire and even using certain types of equipment such as lawn mowers, chain saws, welders, tractors and trimmers.

When camping, never walk away from the campfire and leave it unattended and always have a shovel and bucket nearby in case of accidents. When extinguishing a campfire, Nevada Fire Info recommends the “drown, stir, feel” method in which the fire is doused with water and then the ashes are stirred around to ensure all embers are soaked. This should be followed by shoveling dirt onto the campfire site, after which the area should be carefully tested with the hand to determine if there is any residual heat.

When it comes to target shooting, Nevada Fire Info asks residents and visitors to avoid shooting into rocks or metal objects, placing targets in areas that are completely free of vegetation, keeping water, a shovel and a fire extinguisher handy and cleaning up all targets and shells when finished. People are reminded the exploding targets, incendiary rounds and tracer ammunition are all illegal on public lands.

As to equipment safety, Nevada Fire Info suggests mowing only be done before 10 a.m. and only if it is not excessively windy or dry outside. Proper maintenance of equipment is also important as dirty exhaust systems and spark arrestors can cause fires.

Anyone interested in getting involved with the Wildfire Awareness Campaign or to learn more about Living with Fire contact the team at LWF@unr.edu

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com