12.1 Hazard and Risk Assessment

The community of Gardnerville Ranchos is located 0.6 miles southwest of the Town of Gardnerville, Nevada. The Ranchos, as the community is usually referred to, is situated on flat benches and along the Carson River floodplain. During the assessment the RCI Project Team evaluated 270 residences along the interface. The hazard assessment resulted in classifying the Gardnerville Ranchos community in the Low Hazard category (35 points). A summary of the factors that contribute to this hazard rating is included in Table 12-2. The low rating is attributed the widespread presence of defensible space around homes, ignition-resistant or non-combustible construction materials, and fire safe community design.

12.1.1 Community Design

The Gardnerville Ranchos community exhibits the characteristics of a classic wildland-urban interface community. In many areas subdivisions border wildland fuels with a clear line of demarcation between the fuels and the residences. Lot sizes are primarily less than one acre throughout the Ranchos (see Figure 12-1).

• Roads: Centerville Lane, Kimmerling Lane, and Riverview Drive are the primary roads providing ingress and egress for the community. The primary and secondary roads in the community are generally greater than 24 feet wide, paved, and have a gradient less than five percent. The secondary roads are either loop roads or have cul-de-sac terminus points that provide adequate room for fire suppression apparatus to turn around.
• Signage: A majority of streets had signs that are easily visible from the road. Residential addresses were easily visible form the road for most of the homes assessed. Clear and visible signage is important to aid fire suppression personnel in locating residences during poor visibility conditions that occur during a wildland fire.
• Utilities: Utilities were a combination of above ground and below ground power, and utilities have adequately maintained right-of-ways and pose only a low ignition risk to the community.

12.1.2 Construction Materials

All of the homes in the interface were built with treated wood siding materials, stucco, vinyl, brick, or other fire resistant siding materials. Approximately forty percent of homes had flammable wood shake roofs. Very few of the homes observed have unenclosed balconies, porches, decks, or other architectural features that create drafts and provide areas where sparks and firebrands can be trapped, smolder, ignite, and rapidly spread fire to the home.

12.1.3 Defensible Space

Almost all of the homes assessed had landscaping that meets the minimum recommended defensible space to help protect the home from damage or loss during a wildfire.

12.1.4 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

The Gardnerville Ranchos Volunteer Fire Department and East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts combination career-volunteer staffed department provide structure and wildland fire protection to the Gardnerville Ranchos. Station 7 responded to over 500 calls in 2003. The Gardnerville Ranchos VFD reported thirty volunteers at the time of the assessment (East Fork Fire Protection District website). See Tables 4-2 and 4-3 for more information on the typical fire suppression response for first-alarm wildland-urban interface fires in Douglas County. Appendix E lists the type and number of fire suppression vehicles located at each EFFPD and Douglas County VFD station.

Water Sources and Infrastructure

Hydrants are available within 500 feet of residences in the newer subdivisions, however hydrants are not available for older homes on the west side of the community. There are two water storage tanks (2.5 million-gallons) that supply the hydrant system and are available for drafting sources. There are emergency generators for the well pumps that supply the tanks. The Carson River is a possible helicopter dip spot.

12.1.5 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior

Vegetation, dead and down fuels, and topographic features contribute to the potential fire hazard around wildland-urban interface communities. The Gardnerville Ranchos community lies on an old river terrace, which means the topography is generally flat. The predominant wind direction is from the south and southwest. There is a history of wildfire near the community as evidenced by a 1984 fire that burned within two miles of the community. The fuel hazards were mapped for the Ranchos, and fuel hazard photos were taken to provide additional information for the vegetation type descriptions (see Figures 12-2 and 12-3).

There are two major vegetation types along the Gardnerville Ranchos wildland-urban interface: pasture lands and shrublands. Irrigated pasture, hayland, and abandoned agricultural lands border the north, west, and south sides of the community. The Carson Valley Golf Course, located on the northeast side of the community on Riverview Drive, and the agricultural lands create greenstrips that provide a buffer between wildland fuels and homes.

On the southeast side of the community, homes are located adjacent to wildland vegetation. In these areas the vegetative fuels consist of sagebrush, rabbitbrush, desert peach, bitterbrush, and Mormon tea. Ground fuels consist of cheatgrass, tumble mustard, bottlebrush squirreltail, and filaree. The vegetative fuel density in these areas is low within 200 feet of residential fences due to a previous fire or other disturbance. The fuel loads were estimated at one ton per acre and were considered a low fuel hazard.

Further south of the disturbed area the vegetation is dominated by shrubs that are three to four foot tall including Wyoming big sagebrush, Mormon tea, and rabbitbrush. Cheatgrass, desert needlegrass, and bottlebrush squirreltail comprise in the understory. Fuel loads were estimated to be three to six tons per acre and were considered a moderate fuel hazard.

12.1.6 Fire Behavior Worst Case Scenario

The worst-case scenario for the Gardnerville Ranchos community would likely involve a fire ignition in the southern portion of the community. With south or southwest winds exceeding 25 miles per hour, a fire could spread northeast toward homes. In general, the widespread implementation of defensible space in this area reduces the risk of a fire directly threatening homes; however, many homes are at risk of ignition from firebrands coming in contact with wood shingle roofing material.

12.1.7 Ignition Risk Assessment

The ignition risk assessment assigned the Gardnerville Ranchos with a high potential for ignition based on number of ignitions and fire history for the area. Off-road-vehicles are a likely ignition source for fires as the Humboldt-Toiyabe Dresslerville OHV Area is located less than one mile south of the community. Ditch burning is another human-caused ignition risk that occurs near the community.

12.2 Risk and Hazard Reduction Recommendations

The Gardnerville Ranchos risk and hazard reduction recommendations address the primary concern regarding protection of existing and future development in the wildland-urban interface area. Other recommendations pertain to community coordination and public education efforts that could be undertaken to enhance fire safety in the Ranchos.

12.2.1 Defensible Space Treatments

Defensible space treatments are an essential first line of defense for residential structures. Significantly reducing or removing vegetation within a prescribed distance from structures (30 feet to 200 feet depending upon slope and vegetative fuel type) reduces fire intensity and improves firefighter and homeowner chances for successfully defending a structure against an oncoming wildfire.

Property Owner Recommendation

• Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes according to the guidelines in Appendix D. This area should be kept:
  • 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.
• Maintain the area beneath unenclosed wood decks and porches free of weeds and flammabledebris. Enclose these areas wherever possible.
• Mow or remove brush growing against wood fences in the community.
• Store firewood a minimum distance of thirty feet from structures.
• Cheatgrass or other annual grasses that have become dominant within the defensible space zone should be mowed or treated with an application of pre-emergent herbicide prior to seed set. Treatments may need to be repeated the following year to ensure that the seed bank of unwanted grasses has been depleted. Refer to Appendix D for recommended seed mixes and planting guidelines that can be used in conjunction with removal of this annual grass.
• Immediately remove cleared vegetation to an approved disposal site when implementing defensible space treatments. This material dries quickly and presents a fire hazard if left on site.
• Maintain this defensible space as needed to keep the space lean, clean, and green.

12.2.2 Fuel Reduction Treatments

Fuel reduction treatments are applied on a larger scale than defensible space treatments. By permanently changing the fuel structure over large blocks of land to one of lower volume or reduced flammability (a fuel reduction treatment), the expected result in the event of a catastrophic wildfire would be one of reduced capacity for uncontrolled spread through the treatment area.

Property Owner and Gardnerville Ranchos GID Recommendation

• Construct and maintain two 100-foot wide fuelbreaks for a combined distance of approximately two miles behind wood fences along the south side of the community, for a total treatment of approximately 24 acres (see Figure 12-1). Remove all shrubs with mechanical mastication equipment and plant fire-resistant perennial grasses and wildflowers. Appropriate seed mixtures and seeding specifications are provided in Appendix D.

East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts and Ranchos GID Recommendation

• Cooperate with property owners to construct and maintain two 100-foot wide fuelbreaks for a distance of approximately two miles behind wood fences along the south side of the community, for a total treatment of approximately 24 acres (see Figure 12-1). Remove all shrubs with mechanical mastication equipment, and plant fire-resistant perennial grasses and wildflowers. Appropriate seed mixtures and seeding specifications are provided in Appendix D.

12.2.3 Community Coordination

Many of the most effective activities aimed at reducing the threat of wildfire for the Gardnerville Ranchos community require that individual property owners coordinate with each other and with local fire authorities. Defensible space, for example, is more effective in small communities when applied uniformly throughout entire neighborhoods. Public education and awareness, neighbors helping neighbors, and proactive individuals setting examples for others to follow are just a few of the approaches that will be necessary to meet the fire safe goals in the community. Disposal of biomass generated from defensible space and fuel reduction treatments can sometimes be most efficiently handled through community programs.

Property Owner Recommendation

• Form a local chapter of the Nevada Fire Safe Council. The Nevada Fire Safe Council proposes to work on solutions that reduce the risk of loss of lives and property from wildfires in Nevada’s communities. Through establishment of a local Chapter, communities become part of a large information-sharing network that receives notifications of programs and funding opportunities for fire mitigation projects such as those listed in this report. The Nevada Fire Safe Council will accept and manage grants and contracts on the Chapter’s behalf through its non-profit status. The Nevada Fire Safe Council provides assistance and support to communities to complete fire safe plans, set priorities, educate and train community members, and promote success stories of its members. For more information on forming a chapter, contact:
  

  Nevada Fire Safe Council
  1187 Charles Drive
  Reno, Nevada 89509
  www.nvfsc.org

East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts Recommendation

• Distribute copies of the publication “Living With Fire” to all property owners in wildland-urban interface areas of the Gardnerville Ranchos. This publication is free of charge. Copies can be requested from the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

12.3 Summary of Recommendations

Table 12-1. Gardnerville Ranchos Flats Priority Recommendations to Reduce Wildfire Risks and Hazards

Involved Party	Recommended Treatment	Recommendation Description
Property Owners	Defensible Space	Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes according to the defensible space guidelines in Appendix D.
	Fuels Reduction	Construct and maintain two fuelbreaks, each 100-foot wide, for a combined distance of two miles behind wood fences along the south side of the community.
	Community Coordination	Form a local chapter of the Nevada Fire Safe Council.
Gardnerville Ranchos General Improvement District	Fuels Reduction	Coordinate with property owners to construct and maintain two fuelbreaks, each 100-foot wide, for a distance of two miles behind wood fences along the south side of the community.
East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts	Fuels Reduction	Cooperate with property owners to construct and maintain two fuelbreaks, each 100-foot wide, behind wood fences along the south side of the community.
	Community Coordination	Distribute copies of the publication “Living With Fire” to all property owners.

Table 12-2 Gardnerville Ranchos Wildfire Hazard Rating Summary

Figure 12-1 Gardnerville Ranchos Suppression Resources, Critical Features, and Proposed Mitigation Projects small | large | x-large