48.1 Risk and Hazard Assessment

SRK Consulting of Reno, Nevada conducted a wildfire risk/hazard assessment in Shanty Town in October 2002. They assessed community design, vegetation, fire suppression, and fire history, and they made recommendations for mitigation projects to reduce the threat of wildfire in the community. Shanty Town is located in southern Ruby Valley, along the eastern flank of the Ruby Mountains and adjacent to the marshes of the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge (RLNWR).

48.1.1 Community Design

The 53 homes observed in the community are primarily vacation homes occupied in the summer, however there are some homes occupied year-round.

• Access: Ruby Valley Road is the primary transportation route to Shanty Town and there are numerous secondary roads. Ruby Valley Road is between twenty to 24 feet wide, dirt and gravel base, and has adequate turnaround space for fire suppression equipment. Secondary roads in the community have not been maintained. Some roads are too narrow for fire suppression and emergency vehicle equipment passage and do not have adequate turn-around space.
• Signage: Secondary roads in Shanty Town are not adequately signed. Clear and visible street signs and residential addresses are important in locating homes during low visibility conditions that occur during a wildfire.

48.1.2 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

Shanty Town receives fire protection from the Ruby Valley Volunteer Fire Department. The department has several stations situated throughout the valley, with a total of seventeen volunteers and one chief. The Ruby Valley NWR has three full time staff and three seasonal paid staff members. The Nevada Division of Wildlife Gallagher Fish Hatchery has equipment and trained personnel as well. Table 48-1 lists the types of local wildfire resources, cooperating partners, and equipment available for initial response to Shanty Town 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 48-1. Wildfire Suppression Resources Available to Shanty Town

Type of Equipment	Amount of Equipment	Cooperating Partner (Resource Location)
Type 6 engine	2	Ruby Valley VFD Secret Pass Station
Type 3 Engine Water Tender	1 1	Ruby Valley VFD School Station
Type 6 Engine Type 3 Engine	1 1	NDOW Gallagher Fish Hatchery
Type 4 Engine Water Tender	1 1	Ruby Valley NWR
Source: Larry Burton, Ruby Valley VFD Fire Chief.

Water Sources and Infrastructure

Water is provided by a gravity fed system to some of the residences. There are no water storage facilities and water for fire. Two 12,000-gallon water storage tanks have been purchased for the community and tank installation is planned for June or July of 2005.

48.1.3 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior

Vegetation around the community consists of big sagebrush, perennial grasses, and pinyon-juniper. Tree density increases toward the base of the mountains on the western side of the community and fuel loading is highest there. The fuel hazard condition was considered moderate to high. A landfill in the community is closed now and residents have been piling green waste in Deadman’s Canyon, increasing fuel loading and fire ignition risk.

48.1.4 Ignition Risk Assessment

Shanty Town has a high ignition risk based on fire history in the area and the potential for increased fuel loading from annual grasses in high precipitation years. The primary ignition risks in Shanty Town are lightning, uncontrolled burns, and human caused ignitions that are unpredictable and can occur at any time.

48.1.5 Existing Mitigation Projects

SRK developed the following set of recommendations to reduce the hazards and threat of wildfire in Shanty Town. The SRK proposed fuels reduction projects and dry hydrant system (water tanks) have been completed, with the exception of seeding which will occur during the fall of 2005.

• Surface maintenance of community roads, widening of some roads for emergency vehicle passage, and development of turn-arounds.
• Construct the proposed road providing access to the west side of the community and fuel storage facilities there.
• Form a committee to propose street names and obtain approval from Elko County.
• Continue to train volunteers in State Fire Marshal structure firefighting and Nevada Division of Forestry wildland firefighting and work to recruit more volunteers and increase attendance at training.
• Develop a water storage facility for fire suppression.
• Develop a water storage system near Flynn Spring with a hydrant delivery system.
• Coordinate with the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge for use of the gravel pit pond for fire suppression.
• Develop agreement with Elko County and the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge to identify a suitable location for prescribed burning of biomass.

Fuel Reduction Treatments

The locations of the proposed fuel reduction treatments listed below are shown in Figure 48-1.

• Construct a greenstrip 300 feet wide, 1,600 feet long south of Largemouth Lane on US Forest Service administered land on the south end of the community.
• Construct a greenstrip 300 feet wide, 2,100 feet long approximately 0.5 miles south of the community on the south side of the existing dirt road, extending west-northwest to the US Forest Service property.
• Construct a greenstrip 100 feet wide, 0.8-mile long on the east side of the County Road right-of-way, extending from Gravel Pit Road to 0.2 miles north of Shanty Town.
• Implement brush removal treatments to reduce the fuel loading in the sagebrush block between greenstrips 1 and 2. The area should be grazed annually before fire season to remove herbaceous fuels.
• Implement tree thinning for a width of 100 to 150 feet on the west side of the community between the proposed greenstrip on the south side to the existing power line on the north side of the community.
• Construct a fuelbreak 25 to 50 feet wide along the power line corridor from County Road south to the residential area.
• Thin trees and shrubs within the thirteen-acre US Forest Service parcel on the north side of the community.
• Clear fuels along fence lines in the community.

48.2 Risk and Hazard Reduction Recommendations

The RCI Project Team visited Shanty Town during the Elko County risk assessment and proposed the following recommendations.

48.2.1 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 an oncoming wildfire.

Property Owners

• Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes, equipment, and hay storage areas 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 firewood a minimum distance of thirty feet from structures.
• Clear all vegetation and combustible materials around propane tanks and other fuel storage tanks for a minimum distance of ten feet.
• Immediately dispose of cleared vegetation when implementing defensible space treatments. This material dries quickly and poses a fire hazard if left on site.
• Maintain the defensible space as needed.
• Create a fuelbreak of bare ground or gravel for 100 feet around stockpiled commodities such as hay or alfalfa. Because it is dried plant material, stacked or baled hay is vulnerable to ignitions as much from internal combustion as from outside sources.
• Seed a mixture of fire resistant species around residential structures and ranch outbuildings. This will enhance fire safety, especially important in these rural areas where water sources are limited or distant.

48.2.2 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.

Ruby Valley VFD and Nevada Division of Forestry

• Increase the width of the serpentine shaped tree thinning area on the west side of the community from 100 to 150 feet wide to 300 feet wide.
• Continue to coordinate and enforce a brush clearance program for the community.

Utility Company

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

48.2.3 Fire Suppression Resources

Ruby Valley VFD and Nevada Division of Forestry

• Continue to work with residents and cooperating agencies to enforce the existing burn permit process.

48.2.4 Community Coordination

Property Owners

• Once street names are recorded with the County, ensure residential addresses are easily visible from the road. Address characters should be at least four inches high, reflective 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 of for more information contact the:
  

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

Ruby Valley VFD and Nevada Division of Forestry

• Coordinate with the community-based fire safe organization to 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.
• Coordinate with the community-based fire safe organization to enforce protection of street signs by law enforcement agencies.

Elko County

• Continue to require all future development in the County to meet the National Fire Codes, NRS 477, the National Environmental Policy Act, and local ordinances regarding 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.

48.2.5 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.

Ruby Valley VFD and Nevada Division of Forestry

• 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.

48.3 Summary of Recommendations

Table 48-2. Shanty Town Risk and Hazard Reduction 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 community fire safety.
Ruby Valley VFD Nevada Division of Forestry	Fuels Reduction	Increase the width of the tree thinning serpentine shaped fuel reduction area on the west side of the community from 100 to 150 feet wide to 300 feet wide. Develop and enforce a brush clearance program for the community with a designated biomass disposal site other than Deadman’s Canyon.
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.
Ruby Valley VFD and Nevada Division of Forestry	Fire Suppression Resources	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.
	Public Education	Distribute copies of the publication “Living With Fire” to all property owners.
Elko County	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.

Figure 48-1 Shanty Town Proposed Mitigation Projects small | large | x-large