6.1 Risk and Hazard Assessment

Jiggs is a small community located approximately thirty miles south of Elko on State Route 228 in western Elko County. Jiggs is situated at an elevation of approximately 5,500 feet at the sound end of Smith Creek. The community hazard assessment resulted in classifying Jiggs/Smith Creek in the Extreme Hazard category (79 points). A summary of the factors that contributed to the hazard rating is included in Table 6-3. The extreme rating is attributed to limited access, inadequate defensible space, and the potential for extreme fire behavior. The community boundary identified for this report is shown in Figure 6-1.

6.1.1 Community Design

The interface area around Jiggs/Smith Creek is an intermix condition. Structures are scattered throughout the community with no clear line of demarcation between structures and wildland fuels. Twelve of the fourteen homes included in this assessment are on parcels larger than ten acres in size and two homes are on parcels less than one acre in size.

• Access: State Route 228 leads to the west boundary of the Jiggs/Smith Creek community. Smith Creek Road traverses the length of the community and provides access to the community from the northern and southern ends. The community roads are typically less than 24 feet wide and there are several long dead-end roads. These narrow and dead-end roads do not provide adequate access for fire suppression equipment or for two-way vehicle passage.
• Signage: Street signs and residential addresses are visible on approximately half of the streets and homes. Clear and visible street signs and residential addresses are important in locating homes during low visibility conditions that occur during a wildfire.
• Utilities: All of the utilities are above ground. The utilities were considered a high ignition risk because they are in need of proper maintenance to minimize wildfire damage to electric utilities and to reduce the possibility that sparks could start a fire in adjacent vegetation.

6.1.2 Construction Materials

All of the homes observed in the interface area are built with non-combustible or highly fire resistant siding materials such as medium density fiberboard. All but one of the homes observed have fire resistant roofing materials such as composition roofing, metal, or tile. Half of the homes have unenclosed porches, decks, or balconies that create drafts and provide areas where sparks and embers can be trapped, smolder, ignite, and rapidly spread fire to the house.

6.1.3 Defensible Space

About half of the homes observed in the interface do not meet the minimum recommended defensible space requirement to help protect the home from damage or loss during a wildfire.

6.1.4 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

Fire protection for the Jiggs/Smith Creek community is provided by the Jiggs Volunteer Fire Department. The Jiggs VFD is staffed by nine wildland fire trained volunteers, three emergency medical technicians, and five first responders. Additional Fire Department resources are available through the Elko Fire Department and the Spring Creek and Ten Mile Volunteer Fire Departments. Table 6-1 lists the types of local wildfire resources and equipment available for initial response to Jiggs/Smith Creek in the event of a reported wildfire. Additional resources are available from local, state, and federal agencies through mutual aid agreements as described in Section 4.1.1.

Table 6-1. Jiggs/Smith Creek Wildfire Suppression Resources

Type of Equipment	Amount of Equipment	Cooperating Partner (Resource Location)
Type 3 Engine Type 6 Engines Water Tender	1 2 1	Jiggs VFD (Jiggs)
Type 2 Engine	1	Spring Creek VFD (Station 1)
Type 4 Engine	1	Ten Mile VFD Ten Mile
Type 4 Engine	1	Bureau of Land Management (Elko Field Office)
Source: Sam Hicks, Nevada Division of Forestry Elko County Prevention Captain; Frank Zaga, Jiggs/Smith Creek VFD Chief.

Water Sources and Infrastructure

Water available for fire suppression in Jiggs/Smith Creek is limited to the nearby creeks and ponds. There are two livestock ponds in the area and each holds about 10,000 gallons. The fire suppression trucks are equipped with draft pumps. In the past, helicopters have dipped from the livestock ponds as well as beaver ponds in the nearby mountains. Current plans include installation of a dry hydrant near the Jiggs fire station.

Fire Protection Personnel Qualifications

All Jiggs VFD firefighters have been trained in-house for structure protection and have received training from the Nevada Division of Forestry and cooperating agencies to meet the minimum National Wildfire Coordinating Group basic wildland standards.

Work Load

In a typical year, the Jiggs VFD responds to the following annual calls:

• Ten to twenty emergency medical calls.
• Ten to thirty wildland/brush fire calls.

Community Preparedness

Jiggs Volunteer fire Department is in the process of developing emergency plans for each home in the community.

6.1.5 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior

The terrain within the community boundary is gently rolling. The primary aspects are to the west and south. The dominant wind is from the south and southwest. Fuel loading in the interface area varies from two to six tons per acre, and was considered a moderate to extreme fuel hazard as shown in Figure 6-2. The fuel type northeast of the community consists of broom snakeweed, sagebrush, bitterbrush, and rabbitbrush. The shrub layer was estimated to be four to eight feet tall. Ground fuels include basin wildrye, wheatgrasses, and cheatgrass. The shrubs are densely spaced. The fuels in the central and west portions consist of sagebrush and rabbitbrush two to three feet tall with cheatgrass and basin wildrye ground fuels. Adjacent to Smith Creek, the fuels are dominated by basin wildrye and cheatgrass, with some rabbitbrush. The fuels are continuous and in close proximity to structures. Fuel hazard photo points are shown in Figure 6-3.

6.1.6 Fire Behavior Worst Case Scenario

The worst-case scenario for a wildfire in the area surrounding Jiggs/Smith Creek would start southwest of the homes located in Smith Creek. A fire burning north along the west side of the Ruby Mountains would quickly threaten the larger custom houses and ranches in the Smith Creek area. The vegetation on the west facing aspect varies from pasture grasses to sagebrush six to eight feet tall. If a fire started downslope from the homes, the occupants could be forced to shelter-in-place because access routes would be blocked by fire.

6.1.7 Ignition Risk Assessment

Jiggs/Smith Creek has a high risk of ignition based on fire history in the area and the potential for increased fuel loading from annual grasses in high precipitation years. The primary risk of ignition in Jiggs/Smith Creek is lightning, unattended or improperly extinguished campfires, and vehicle activity on the highway.

6.1.8 XJ Ranch Community Considerations

The XJ Ranch, located approximately 25 miles south of Jiggs, is a summer youth camp with approximately 100 seasonal residents. The ranch receives fire protection from the Jiggs Volunteer Fire Department, located approximately 45 to 60 minutes from the ranch. Additional resources are available by request from the Bureau of Land Management Elko Field Office, the Nevada Division of Forestry, and the US Forest Service. Water available for fire suppression near the XJ Ranch includes one dry hydrant that can be filled from the ranch pond. The pond can also be used as a helicopter dip site. The buildings have wood shake roofs, which provide places where sparks and embers can lodge, smolder, ignite, and rapidly spread fire to the structure.

The vegetative fuel density in the XJ Ranch area is generally heavy, estimated at five to six tons per acre. Fuels in the community consist of a pinyon-juniper tree layer, and a shrub layer of sagebrush, rabbitbrush, and bitterbrush up to five feet high. Understory fuels consist of perennial grasses and some crested wheatgrass. The terrain within the community boundary is moderately sloped with a west aspect. The prevailing wind direction is south or west. There is a history of afternoon thunderstorms and dry lightning strikes in the area and an extensive wildfire history in the public lands surrounding the community.

The XJ Ranch has a high risk of ignition based on fire history in the area, topography, and fuels. The primary risk of ignition at the ranch is lightning, although human caused ignitions are unpredictable and can occur at any time.

6.2 Risk and Hazard Reduction Recommendations

The responsibility to keep a community fire safe falls not only on the local fire protection district but also on the residents and local governments. The recommendations for the Jiggs/Smith Creek area focus primarily on the ongoing and additional efforts to create and maintain defensible space, and on future requirements that new developments will be planned and constructed to create fire safe communities. Other recommendations pertain to community coordination and public education efforts that could be undertaken to enhance fire safety. Defensible space treatments, listed below, are also recommended for implementation around structures at the XJ Ranch and youth camp.

6.2.1 Defensible Space Treatments

Defensible space treatments are an essential first line of defense for residential structures. The goal of the treatments is to significantly reduce or remove flammable vegetation within a prescribed distance from structures. (Refer to Appendix E for the minimum recommended defensible space area). Defensible space reduces the fire intensity and improves firefighter and homeowner chances for successfully defending a structure against oncoming wildfire.

Property Owners Recommendations

• Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes according to the guidelines in Appendix E. 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.
• Store woodpiles a minimum distance of thirty feet from any structure.
• Remove all dead vegetation and other flammable materials a minimum of five feet from the exterior of the structure.
• Mow or remove brush growing against fences in the community. The minimum distance for clearance should be ten feet in grass and 25 feet in brush.
• Maintain areas under wood decks and porches free of weeds and other flammable debris. Enclose these areas when possible. Box in eves and cover attic and other ventilation openings with very fine metal wire mesh to prevent embers from entering the attic or crawl space.
• Clear all vegetation and combustible materials around propane tanks for a minimum distance of ten feet.
• Clear weeds and brush to a width of ten feet along both sides of the driveways.
• Where cheatgrass has become dominant within the defensible space zone, areas should be mowed prior to seed maturity or treated with an application of a pre-emergent herbicide.^[2] Treatments may need to be repeated for several years to ensure that the seed bank of unwanted annual grass seeds has been depleted. Refer to Appendix E for a recommended seed mixture and planting guidelines that can be used in conjunction with cheatgrass removal.
• Install spark arrestors on chimneys.
• Trim and remove tree branches a minimum of four feet from the ground to reduce ladder fuels on all deciduous and coniferous trees within the defensible space zone. Prune all dead and diseased branches.
• Prune all tree branches to a minimum distance of fifteen feet from buildings, paying special attention around chimneys.
• Mow grass within the defensible space zone to maintain a maximum height of four inches.
• Immediately dispose of cleared vegetation when implementing defensible space treatments. This material dries quickly and poses a fire hazard if left on site.
• Where possible, irrigate all trees and large shrubs that remain in close proximity to structures to increase their fire resiliency. This is especially important during drought conditions.
• Maintain the defensible space as needed.
• Create defensible space around farm equipment and haystacks.

6.2.2 Fuel Reduction Treatments

Fuel reduction treatments are applied on a larger scale than defensible space treatments. Permanently changing the fuel characteristics over large blocks of land to one of a lower volume and one of altered distribution reduces the risk of a catastrophic wildfire in the treated area. Reducing vegetation along roadways and driveways could reduce the likelihood of blocking access and escape routes, help contain the fire perimeter, and improve firefighter access and safety for protecting homes.

XJ Ranch Property Owner

• Clear vegetation a minimum width of fifty feet on both sides of the driveway into the ranch.
• Construct a shaded fuelbreak for an additional 100 feet on both sides of the driveway by thinning pinyon and junipers to a minimum canopy spacing of two times the height of the trees. Create turnout areas every 600 feet along the main driveway.

Utility Company

• Reduce and remove vegetation to maintain clearance around power lines. Clear vegetation within fifteen feet of utility poles near the community. Remove all trees from beneath power lines.

Elko County

• Reduce vegetation and maintain roads by mowing all vegetation to a height of no more than four inches for a distance of twenty feet from edge of road on both sides of the road. Remove biomass and dispose of it at an appropriate site.

Elko County and Nevada Division of Forestry

• Coordinate with residents to construct a fuelbreak along Smith Creek Road as shown in Figure 6-1. Mow grasses to maximum height of four inches and remove all shrubs and trees within twenty feet from the edge of the road on both sides of the road. For an additional thirty feet on each side of the road thin shrubs to a canopy spacing of two times the height of the shrubs. Remove and dispose of biomass at an appropriate site. Reseed treated areas with fire resistant species such as recommended in Appendix E to minimize cheatgrass and noxious weed invasion. The proposed treatment will improve the main evacuation route for the community, reduce chance of ignition along the roadway, and provide a fuelbreak for parts of the community.

6.2.3 Fire Suppression Resources and Training

Jiggs VFD and Nevada Division of Forestry

• Continue to provide wildland fire training and equipment for all volunteers.
• Install a minimum capacity 10,000-gallon water tank in the community for drafting water.
• Upgrade the VFD radio system to narrow band technology to ensure proper communication compatibility with cooperating agencies.
• If available, move additional resources into the area and ensure adequate volunteer resources for high hazard days.

6.2.4 Community Coordination

Jiggs VFD and Nevada Division of Forestry and Cooperating Agencies

• Develop an evacuation plan for the XJ Ranch and youth camp.
• Assure that residents of the Jiggs/Smith Creek Community and the operators of the XJ Ranch are knowledgeable of the existing shelter-in-place plan.
• Develop an evacuation plan that identifies routes of travel, shelter in place areas, and individuals with needs for special assistance such as non-ambulatory residents.
• Develop and enforce brush clearance and biomass disposal programs.
• Continue to meet annually with the cooperating agencies to discuss pre-attack plans for the community.

Property Owners

• Ensure residential addresses are easily visible from the road. Address characters should be at least four inches high, reflective on a dark background on a dark background, and made 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 wildfire.
• Form a local community-based organization to take responsibility and provide leadership for community-wide fuels reduction and community fire safety. The Nevada Fire Safe Council is one option for community organization. Through the establishment of a local Nevada Fire Safe Council Chapter, local communities will become part of a large network for sharing information, including notification 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 will provide assistance and support to communities to complete fire safe plans, set priorities, educate and train community members, and promote success stories of its members. To form a local chapter or for more information contact the:
  

  Nevada Fire Safe Council
  210 South Roop Street Suite 101
  Carson City, NV 89701
  www.nvfsc.org

Elko County

• Promote coordination between the Assessor’s Office and the Roads Department to ensure that all new development roads are named, mapped, signed, and identified with GPS locations.
• Continue to require all future development in the County to meet the National Fire Codes with regard to community design, building construction and spacing, road construction and design, water supply and emergency access. Refer to Appendix F for an example of fire safe recommendations for planning new developments.

6.2.5 Public Education

A public education program that explains fire safe measures in clear and emphatic terms will have an impact on residents of the wildland-urban interface. Informed community members will be more inclined to make efforts to effectively reduce wildfire hazards around their homes and neighborhoods.

Jiggs VFD

• 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.

6.3 Summary of Recommendations

Table 6-2. Jiggs/Smith Creek Risk and Hazard Priority 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 the defensible space annually.
	Community Coordination	Ensure addresses are easily visible from the road. Form a local community-based organization to provide leadership and be responsible for community-wide fuels reduction and fire safety.
XJ Ranch	Fuels Reduction	Clear vegetation a minimum width of fifty feet on both sides of the driveway into the ranch. Construct a shaded fuelbreak for an additional 100 feet on both sides of the driveway by thinning pinyon and junipers to a minimum canopy spacing of two times the height of the trees. Create turnout areas every 600 feet along the main driveway.
Utility Company	Fuels Reduction	Reduce and remove vegetation to maintain clearance around power lines. Clear vegetation within fifteen feet of utility poles near the community. Remove all trees from beneath power lines.
Jiggs VFD Nevada Division of Forestry	Fuels Reduction	Coordinate with residents to construct a fuelbreak along Smith Creek Road. Mow grasses to maximum height of four inches and remove all shrubs and trees within twenty feet from the edge of the road on both sides of the road. Thin shrubs an additional thirty feet on each side of the road to a canopy spacing of two times the height of the shrubs.
	Fire Suppression Resources	Continue to provide wildland fire training and equipment for all volunteers. Upgrade VFD radios with narrow band technology to ensure communication compatibility with cooperating agencies. Install a minimum capacity 10,000-gallon water tank in the community for drafting water. If available, move additional resources into the area on high hazard days or ensure adequate volunteer resources for high hazard days.
	Community Coordination	Develop an evacuation plan for the XJ Ranch and youth camp. Assure that residents of the Jiggs/Smith Creek Community and the operators of the XJ Ranch are knowledgeable of the existing shelter-in-place plan. Develop an evacuation plan that identifies routes of travel, shelter in place areas, and individuals with needs for special assistance such as non-ambulatory residents. Develop and enforce brush clearance and biomass disposal programs. Continue to meet annually with the cooperating agencies to discuss pre-attack plans for the community.
Elko County	Fuels Reduction	Reduce vegetation and maintain roads by mowing all vegetation to a height of no more than four inches for a distance of twenty feet from the edge of the road on both sides of the road. Remove biomass and dispose of it at an appropriate site.
	Community Coordination	Promote cooperation between the Assessor’s Office and the Roads Department to ensure that all new development roads are named, mapped, signed, and identified with GPS locations. Continue to require all future development in the county to meet the National Fire Codes with regard to community design, building construction and spacing, road construction and design, water supply and emergency access. Refer to Appendix F for an example of fire safe recommendations for planning new developments.
Jiggs VFD	Public Education	Distribute copies of the publication “Living With Fire” to all property owners.

Table 6-3 Jiggs/Smith Creek Wildfire Hazard Rating Summary

Figure 6-1 Jiggs/Smith Creek Fire History, Suppression Resources, Critical Features, and Proposed Mitigation Projects small | large | x-large
Figure 6-2 Jiggs/Smith Creek Classification of Fuel Hazard small | large | x-large