21.1 Hazard and Risk Assessment

The Ruhenstroth community is located in central Douglas County approximately 2.5 miles south of the town of Gardnerville. The community is situated on a west-facing alluvial fan just east of the East Fork of the Carson River. Public lands border the community to the north, east, and south, and Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California lands border the community to the west. Approximately 500 homes were observed in the community during the assessment. The hazard assessment resulted in classifying Ruhenstroth in the Moderate Hazard category (56 points). A summary of the factors that determine this hazard rating is included in Table 21-2. The primary hazards for the Ruhenstroth community are the potential for extreme fire behavior, the proximity of water sources for fire suppression, and the availability of volunteer fire suppression resources.

21.1.1 Community Design

The Ruhenstroth interface area is characterized by the intermix wildland-urban interface condition. Structures are scattered throughout the wildland area with no clear line of demarcation between wildland fuels and residences in the community. The majority of lots assessed were on parcels between one and ten acres (see Figure 21-1).

• Roads: Wiseman Lane and Palomino Lane are the primary roads providing access from residences to US Highway 395, which provides access between the Ruhenstroth community and other communities in Douglas County. The primary roads are greater than 24 feet in width, paved, and provide adequate access for fire suppression vehicles. Most of the secondary community roads have adequate turn around space for fire suppression equipment, and the majority of community roads have less than a five percent gradient. However, more than ten secondary roads have dead ends with inadequate turn around space for fire suppression vehicles.
• Signage: Greater than eighty percent of streets are adequately identified with reflective letter signs. Residential addresses were visible on ninety percent of the homes assessed. Clear and visible residential addresses are important to aid firefighting personnel in locating homes during low visibility conditions that may be present during a wildland fire.
• Utilities: Both overhead and underground power lines are present within the community, as well as propane tanks and natural gas service. Power line right-of-ways were properly maintained, which minimizes the possibility of power lines sparking during windstorms and starting fires in nearby vegetation.

21.1.2 Construction Materials

Approximately seventeen percent of the homes assessed had wood shake roofing materials. The remainder of the homes assessed were built with fire resistant siding materials and non-combustible roofing materials, mainly composition type roofing. About thirteen percent 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.

21.1.3 Defensible Space

Approximately 84 percent of the homes in the community have landscaping that would meet the minimum defensible space requirement to help protect the home from damage or loss during a wildfire.

21.1.4 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

Ruhenstroth Volunteer Fire Department (Station 10) of the East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts provides Ruhenstroth with wildland and structure fire protection. At the time interviews were completed for this report, the Ruhenstroth VFD reported eighteen members on its roster (East Fork Fire and Paramedic 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 station.

The BLM / Interagency wildland fire resources will also respond to all wildland fire reports within the Ruhenstroth community. BLM has a wildland fire engine stationed at the Fish Springs VFD (Station 9) to respond to risks to adjacent public land and Indian allotment lands. The response will be initiated by the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center.

Water Sources and Infrastructure

Water availability for fire suppression in Ruhenstroth includes one 250,000-gallon tank with two, 1,250 gpm fire pumps, located at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, approximately one mile away. The tank also provides a gravity fed water source to a hydrant installed at the Ruhenstroth VFD. There is no emergency generator for the pump that fills the tank, and there are no other hydrants available for structure protection in the community. The Carson River may be used as a helicopter dip site.

21.1.5 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior

Vegetation, dead and down fuels, and topographic features contribute to the potential fire hazard around wildland-urban interface communities. The terrain in Ruhenstroth is generally flat with slopes less than eight percent. The community is situated on a west facing alluvial fan. The vegetative fuel density in the Ruhenstroth community ranges from moderate to high, with fuel loads estimated between two and eight tons per acre in the southwest portion of the community. Fuel loads were estimated to be less than one ton per acre on the north and east sides of the community. Vegetative fuels in the community consist primarily of sagebrush, horsebrush, rabbitbrush, Mormon tea, and fourwing saltbush with a cheatgrass and bottlebrush squirreltail understory. Typical shrub heights range between one and two feet. In the southwest portion of the community, there are pinyon and juniper trees that are ten to twenty foot tall and increase the fuel hazard from moderate (in the rest of the community) to high. The predominant wind direction is from the south/southwest especially in the late afternoon

21.1.6 Fire Hazard Reduction Projects

In 2004 the BLM Carson Field Office funded a Student Conservation Association Fire Education Corp Team that completed evaluations of defensible space conditions and provided Ruhenstroth homeowners with defensible space educational materials.

21.1.7 Fire Behavior Worst Case Scenario

The worst-case scenario for Ruhenstroth would likely occur in the event of a dry lightning storm with numerous ignitions south and east of the community. With south or southwest winds exceeding 25 miles per hour, a fire ignition south of the community could rapidly spread through the pinyon, juniper, and brush fuels and quickly threaten structures on the south and east sides of Ruhenstroth. Spot fires could also easily ignite in the vacant lots throughout the community creating a situation with multiple fire starts and fire fronts for fire suppression resources to contend with. The scenario would be worse if EFFPD resources were unavailable due to previous assignment to an emergency situation elsewhere.

21.1.8 Ignition Risk Assessment

Fire ignitions have occurred within the vicinity of the community from both human and lightning causes. In 1984, the Indian Creek II Fire burned approximately 22,000 acres just south of the community. Ruhenstroth has a moderate ignition risk for the wildland-urban interface areas of the community. The ignition risk is low within the developed lots; however, the undeveloped lots pose a moderate ignition risk. There is a moderate risk of ignition due to lightning and a low risk of ignition from human-caused sources such as power line ignitions or flammable debris being thrown from vehicles on the highway.

21.2 Risk and Hazard Reduction Recommendations

The Ruhenstroth 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 Ruhenstroth.

21.2.1 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 (a minimum of 100 feet) reduces fire intensity and improves firefighter and homeowner chances for successfully defending a structure against an oncoming wildfire.

Property Owner Recommendations

• Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation to create defensible space 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.
• Remove debris and flammable materials from within the defensible space area.
• Store firewood a minimum distance of thirty feet from structures.
• Mow or remove brush growing within a distance of 25 feet and grass within ten feet of wood fences in the community.
• 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.
• Maintain areas under wood decks and porches free of weeds and other flammable debris. Enclose these areas wherever possible.
• Clear all vegetation and combustible materials around propane tanks for a minimum of ten feet.
• Install spark-arresting devices on chimneys.
• Thin pinyon and juniper trees in the defensible space area such that tree canopies are spaced a minimum distance of thirty feet from any other trees, shrubs, or residential structures. Limb branches of remaining pinyon and juniper trees within the defensible space area a minimum of four feet from the ground, or no more than one-third the height of the trees. Reduce the needle and cone duff from under the remaining trees to a depth no greater than one-inch.
• Irrigate all trees and shrubs in close proximity to structures to increase their fire resiliency, especially during drought conditions.
• Immediately dispose of cleared vegetation when implementing defensible space treatments. This material dries quickly and poses a fire hazard if left on site.
• Maintain this defensible space as needed to keep the space lean, clean, and green.

21.2.2 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 Recommendations

• Reduce pinyon, juniper, and shrubs for a distance of ten feet on both sides of private driveways. Remove highly flammable shrub species and replace with fire-resistant species such as crested wheatgrass, lawn, or a low growing seeding. Appropriate seed mixtures and seeding specifications are provided in Appendix D.
• Coordinate with Bureau of Land Management and the East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts to construct a 200-foot wide shaded fuelbreak for a distance of approximately 4,400 feet on the southeast side of the community. The recommended treatment area is approximately twenty acres (see Figure 21-1). Thin trees and shrubs to a canopy spacing of two times the height of the trees and shrubs. Limb remaining trees a minimum of four feet from the ground and remove any shrubs within ten feet of tree canopies.

Bureau of Land Management and East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts Recommendation

• Coordinate with property owners to construct and maintain a 200-foot wide shaded fuelbreak for a distance of approximately 4,400 feet on the southeast side of the community. The recommended treatment area is approximately twenty acres (see Figure 21-1). Thin trees and shrubs to a canopy spacing of two times the height of the trees and shrubs. Limb remaining trees a minimum of six feet from the ground and remove any shrubs within ten feet of tree canopies.

Utility Company Recommendation

• Reduce vegetation a minimum distance of fifteen feet from all utility poles and power lines to reduce the risk of loss during a fire and reduce the chance of sparks from igniting nearby vegetation.

Douglas County Roads Department Recommendation

• Remove pinyon and juniper trees, shrubs, and weeds for a distance of 25 feet on each side of roads in the community.

21.2.3 Community Coordination

Many of the most effective activities aimed at reducing the threat of wildfire for the Ruhenstroth 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 Recommendations

• Assure that address signs are visible from the road. Address characters should be at least four inches high, reflective, and composed of non-flammable material. Improving visibility of addresses will make it easier for those unfamiliar with the area to navigate under smoky conditions during a wildland fire.
• 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 who live in wildland-urban interface subdivisions in Ruhenstroth. This publication is free of charge. Copies can be requested from the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

21.3 Summary of Recommendations

Table 21-1. Ruhenstroth Priority Recommendations to Reduce Wildfire Risks and Hazards

Involved Party	Recommended Treatment	Recommendation Description
Property Owners	Defensible Space	Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around home according to the defensible space guidelines in Appendix D.
	Fuels Reduction	Reduce vegetative fuels for a distance of ten feet on both sides of private driveways with shrubs and pinyon/juniper trees along the driveway. Coordinate with Bureau of Land Management and the East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts to construct and maintain a 200-foot wide shaded fuelbreak for a distance of approximately 4,400 feet on the southeast side of the community.
	Community Coordination	Assure that address signs are visible from the road. Address characters should be at least four inches high, reflective, and composed of non-flammable material. Form a local chapter of the Nevada Fire Safe Council.
Douglas County	Fuels Reduction	Remove trees, shrubs, and weeds for a distance of 25 feet on both sides of roads in the community.
Utility Company	Fuels Reduction	Reduce vegetation a minimum distance of fifteen feet from all utility poles and power lines.
Bureau of Land Management	Fuels Reduction	Coordinate with property owners to construct and maintain a 200-foot wide shaded fuelbreak for a distance of approximately 4,400 feet on the southeast side of the community.
East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts	Fuels Reduction	Coordinate with property owners to construct and maintain a 200-foot wide shaded fuelbreak for a distance of approximately 4,400 feet on the southeast side of the community.
	Community Coordination	Distribute copies of the publication “Living With Fire” to all property owners.

Table 21-2 Ruhenstroth Wildfire Hazard Rating Summary

Figure 21-1 Ruhenstroth Fire History, Suppression Resources, and Proposed Mitigation Projects small | large | x-large