The fires in Los Angeles have everyone on high alert and wondering if this could happen here in Nevada. Nevada has high winds, and often they come in the winter prior to a storm. With this year being very dry, and having a lot of grass growth from some prior wet winters, it’s a perfect recipe for fire.
With this, it’s easy to feel powerless, but the at is reminding Nevadans of the practical steps that they can take now to prepare for wildfire.
“Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean we can’t have wildfires,” said Christina Restaino, the program’s director. “But, we have really good, practical information to help homeowners keep their homes and families safe. 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 evacuation preparation, defensible space, ember preparedness, wildfire smoke and community collaboration. Here are some tips from the Living With Fire Program to help Nevadans get started and avert disaster.
Be prepared in advance for evacuation:
Preparing ahead for evacuation can help you and your household remain calm, leave your home in a condition that is conducive to surviving a wildfire, and have the items you need. To be prepared for evacuation:
- Prepare a “go-bag”: Pack an ahead of time to aid in a quick and safe evacuation.
- Review and have on hand the that includes a list of what you need to do to evacuate. For more guidance, view the presentation.
Create defensible space:
Defensible space helps firefighters protect your home. It’s safer for them to engage in protecting your house if there aren’t trees, shrubs and other plants too close to your home that can catch on fire. Here are some ways to create or improve your defensible space:
- Learn about defensible space and tips for keeping your property looking nice while being fire safe in the and by watching this informative presentation on .
- Remove cheatgrass! Cheatgrass usually dries out quickly and can serve as good kindling for wildfires. Once ignited, and on windy days, cheatgrass fires can create 8-foot flames traveling at almost 5 miles an hour. Remove all cheatgrass within 30 feet of the home. To learn more about cheatgrass, see the publication .
- You can get a free defensible space inspection. Local fire agencies with very knowledgeable experts can help you make a plan. To get a free defensible space inspection, contact .
- Consult who have taken the Living With Fire Program’s defensible space training if you think you need some help.
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. Here are some ways you can protect your home from embers:
- Think about ways that embers can get in your house – through vents, windows, eaves, etc. Come up with a plan for how to address these issues. For example, you can screen vents, enclose eaves, and remove plants under windows. The fixes do not have to be expensive. There are recommendations in the . Also, check out this recorded with some of the authors of the Wildfire Home Retrofit Guide.
- Remove all dried leaves, pine needles and other materials from your roof and rain gutters. Embers love to get trapped in small spaces, and if there are flammable materials there, it’s game over.
- Think about where you are storing firewood and other combustible materials, such as lumber. Do you have wood right against your house or under your deck? Move it 30 feet away if possible.
Prepare for wildfire smoke:
Nevadans are no strangers to smoke from wildfires that are not even in Nevada. Regardless of where the smoke comes from, we still need to be prepared for unhealthy air.
- If possible, stay indoors:
- Keep all windows closed and use an air purification system. This can be an air purifier, air conditioning system or a .
- Create a “clean room,” a room with few windows and doors and no fireplace that is large enough for your family and a portable air purifier.
- Avoid creating more smoke in the house, cooking greasy food, or vacuuming. All of those things will reduce your indoor air quality.
- Not everyone can stay inside when the air quality is hazardous, but there are things you can do if you need to be outside.
- Wear a P100 or N95 respirator.
- Reduce strenuous activities and take breaks.
- Stay hydrated. Adequate hydration keeps your airway lubricated, which keeps you safer from health impacts related to smoke.
- For more on how to prepare for wildfire smoke and protect your health, see the publication .
Collaborate with your community:
Work towards becoming fire adapted. We can work hard individually, but our actions are more meaningful if our neighbors are working with us.
- Learn how to .
- Engage with agencies at the partnership and work toward wildfire resilience strategies tailored to your community.
- Kickstart or continue your journey by attending the in Reno March 17-18. Hosted by Living With Fire, this event is an opportunity to:
- Deepen your understanding of fire, community engagement and strategies to reduce wildfire risk.
- Connect with peers and engage with fire agencies at the local, county, state and federal levels.
- Learn practical methods for turning knowledge into action and implement change in your community.
For more information, contact Christina Restaino at restainoc@unr.edu.
