15.0 Sandy Valley
15.1 Risk and Hazard Assessment
Sandy Valley is located on the California/Nevada border approximately ten miles east of Goodsprings on State Route 161. There are over 800 homes in the Sandy Valley area. The assessment resulted in classifying Sandy Valley in the Moderate Hazard category (42 points). This rating is primarily attributed to limited water sources, inadequate street and address signage, and limited fire suppression resources. Table 15-3 at the end of this section presents a summary of the community hazard rating values for Sandy Valley.
15.1.1 Community Design
The Sandy Valley community is characterized by an intermix wildland-urban interface condition: structures are scattered throughout the wildland area with no clear line of demarcation between wildland fuels, buildings, and open space. Approximately three quarters of the homes are on lots between one and ten acres and the remainder are on lots less than one acre in size. The community boundary is shown in Figure 15-1.
The Sandy Valley community is classified as an intermix condition. Structures are scattered throughout the wildland area. There is no clear line of demarcation between structures and wildland fuels along roads, back fences, etc.
- Access: The primary access to Sandy Valley is State Route 161. This is the only road into or out of the community. The road grade is less than five percent. There is adequate turnaround space for fire suppression equipment to maneuver in the community.
- Signage: Street signs are visible on approximately 75 percent of the roads in the community. Addresses are visible on half of the houses. Clear and visible street signs and residential addresses are important to aid firefighters in locating homes during low visibility conditions that may be present during a wildland fire.
- Utilities: Utilities in Sandy Valley are a low ignition risk.
15.1.2 Construction Materials
All structures in the interface are built with non-combustible roofing materials and ninety percent have fire resistant siding materials. Approximately one-third of the structures in the community have unenclosed balconies, decks, porches, eaves, or attic vents that can create drafty areas where sparks and embers can be trapped, smolder, ignite, and rapidly spread fire to the house.
15.1.3 Defensible Space
Approximately eighty percent of the structures within the Sandy Valley community meet the defensible space landscaping requirements to minimize damage to the home or loss during a wildfire.
15.1.4 Suppression Capabilities
Wildfire Protection Resources
Clark County Rural Fire Station 77 in Sandy Valley is an all-volunteer department that reported fifteen members at the time the interview were conducted for this project. Additional county resources are dispatched through the consolidated Fire Alarm Office in Las Vegas. Apparatus located onsite in Sandy Valley is summarized in Table 15-1. Numbers quoted are based on data available at the time of interviews with local and regional fire authorities and are subject to change.
| Type of Resource | Amount of Equipment | Cooperating Partner (Resource Location) |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 Structure Engine Water Tender Type 6 Quick Attack Engine Basic Life Support (BLS) Rescue |
1 1 1 1 |
Clark County Rural Fire Station 77 (Sandy Valley) |
| Water Tender Type 6 Quick Attack Engine Basic Life Support (BLS) Rescue |
1 1 1 |
Clark County Rural Fire (Nearest Available) |
| Type 3 Brush Engine | 1 | Bureau of Land Management (Nearest Available) |
| Type 3 Brush Engine Type 6 Brush Patrol Engine |
2 2 |
US Forest Service (Nearest Available) |
| Source: Steve McClintock, pers. comm., 21 April 2004. | ||
The US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management provide mutual aid dispatched through the Las Vegas Interagency Communications Center. This system locates the nearest available fire suppression resource according to incident command and computer aided dispatch protocols; it is important to note that federal resources are commonly reassigned to areas of higher severity during the fire season.
Water Sources and Infrastructure
Water availability for fire suppression in Sandy Valley is limited. Water for wildfire suppression is from community wells and one 10,000-gallon storage tank. The water system operates on gravity and electric pumps.
Fire Protection Personnel Qualifications
Volunteer and career firefighters who would respond to a wildfire near Sandy Valley have a minimum of NFPA firefighter I and II training and a limited number have had some wildland firefighting training (National Wildfire Coordinating Group 310-1). The Nevada Division of Forestry and US Forest Service personnel meet minimum requirements per National Wildfire Coordinating Group 310-1.
Work Load
The Clark County Fire Department station responded to 149 emergency medical calls and eight wildland brush fire calls in 2003.
Detection and Communication
Detection and communication is facilitated by 911 calls and the fire dispatch. Communication is compatible with neighboring agencies.
Financial Support
Funding for Clark County Fire Department annual operating expenses comes from the County General Fund, which is generated primarily through property taxes.
Community Preparedness
Clark County has an active Local Emergency Planning Committee and has adopted an all-risk, multi-agency emergency plan. The plan is reviewed annually and updated as needed.
15.1.5 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior
The vegetative fuel density in the Sandy Valley area is generally light with isolated areas of denser vegetation. Ground fuels consist of annual grasses. The shrub layer is dominated by sparsely spaced bursage (two to four feet tall). Trees and bamboo are used for windbreaks along some property lines. Some trees have been planted near structures for landscaping. The fuel hazard in the interface area around Sandy Valley is low.
15.1.6 Fire Behavior Worst-Case Scenario
The worst-case scenario would be a fire starting on the south side of town. In a year with high annual grass production, a wind driven fire could be carried through the shrubs. Strong winds could send firebrands into areas of dense vegetation and landscaped areas needing defensible space or general cleanup. These interior fires could spread into structures.
15.1.7 Ignition Risk Assessment
Sandy Valley has a low ignition risk rating. There is no significant wildfire history in the area surrounding the community, and the recorded history of lightning strikes and other ignitions shows only one incident.
15.2 Risk and Hazard Reduction Recommendations
Primary recommendations for Sandy Valley are to maintain defensible space and initiate community cleanup.
15.2.1 Defensible Space
Vegetation density, type of fuel, and slope gradient around a home affect the potential fire exposure levels to the home. These conditions define the defensible space area required for individual homes. The goals of defensible space are to reduce the risk of property loss from wildfire by eliminating flammable vegetation near the home. In turn, this lowers the chances of a wildfire spreading onto adjacent properties and it aids firefighters in their efforts to protect property against an approaching wildfire. Guidelines for establishing and improving defensible space around residences and structures in the community are given below and described in greater detail in Appendix E.
Private Property Owners
- Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes. Keep this area:
- Lean: There are only small amounts of flammable vegetation.
- Clean: There is no accumulation of dead vegetation or other flammable debris.
- Green: Existing plants are healthy and green during the fire season.
- For deciduous and coniferous trees within the defensible space zone, prune trees so that branches are at least fifteen feet away from chimneys, structures, and power lines. Limbed trees to a height of four feet, but not more than one-third of the tree crown. Remove all dead and diseased branches and duff from beneath the remaining trees.
- Keep grass and weeds mowed to a maximum of three inches in height.
- Enclose wood decks and porches. If this is not possible, maintain the areas to be free of weeds and other flammable debris.
- Clear vegetation and combustible materials from around propane tanks for a minimum of ten feet.
- Immediately remove all cleared vegetation to an approved disposal site. This material dries quickly and poses a fire risk if left on site.
- Ensure that residential addresses are visible from the road. Address characters should be at least four inches high and reflective. Improving visibility of addresses will make it easier for those unfamiliar with the area to navigate during a wildland fire.
- Coordinate a general community clean-up effort and remove abandoned mobile homes.
- Install screens over attic vents to prevent sparks from entering the attic.
- Maintain defensible space annually.
- Have a back-up generator for pumping domestic wells, or install gravity operated water storage tanks in the event that a fire eliminates power to the community.
Clark County Fire Department
- Conduct courtesy inspections of home defensible space measures.
15.2.2 Fuels Reduction
The goal of the identified fuels reduction treatment is to reduce the fuel hazard along community roadways, thereby ensuring safe ingress and egress during a wildfire.
Clark County
- Create a fuelbreak thirty feet in width along each side of State Route 161 through Sandy Valley. Mow or remove brush growing within this fuelbreak. Establish similar fuelbreaks along all roadways in the Sandy Valley community.
15.2.3 Community Coordination
Coordination among community members, local, state, and federal fire suppression agencies is important in the day-to-day fire prevention activities and becomes critical in the event of a wildland fire. The goal of community coordination is to make the entire community fire safe.
Clark County
- Allow burning only under a permit process or on designated community burning days.
15.2.4 Public Education
Public education is an important tool to engage public participation in making a community fire safe. Informed community members will take the initiative required to lead efforts of a scale sufficient to effectively reduce the threat that wildland fires present to the entire interface community.
Clark County Fire Department
- Distribute copies of the publication “Living with Fire” to all property owners. This publication is free of charge. Copies can be requested from the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.
15.2.5 Wildland Fire Suppression, Training, and Equipment
Clark County Fire Department
- Improve water availability for firefighting by obtaining a 50,000-gallon water tank for firefighting resources.
- Comply with minimum standards regarding training and personal protective equipment for all firefighters in accordance with the Wildland and Prescribed Fire Qualification System Guide PMS 310-1. (See Section 4.2 of this report for a description of these standards).
15.3 Summary of Recommendations
| Involved Party | Recommended Treatment | Recommendation Description |
|---|---|---|
| Property Owners | Defensible Space | Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes according to the guidelines in Appendix E. Maintain defensible space as needed to keep the space lean, clean, and green. |
| Clark County Fire Department | Defensible Space | Conduct courtesy inspections of defensible space condition and defensible space treatments on private property. |
| Public Education | Distribute copies of “Living with Fire” to all property owners living in Sandy Valley. | |
| Training and Equipment | Install 50,000 gallons of additional water reserves for firefighting. Comply with NWCG 310-1 training and equipment standards. |
|
| Nevada Department of Transportation | Fuels Reduction | Create a fuelbreak along both sides of State Route 161 through Sandy Valley. |
| Clark County | Community Coordination | Allow burning under a permit process or on designated burn days. |
Table 15-3. Sandy Valley Fire Hazard Ratings Summary |
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Figure 15-1 Sandy Valley Fire History and Suppression Resources |
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