Goldfield, the County Seat of Esmeralda County, is located along US Highway 95, south of Tonopah (Nye County). Goldfield is situated northwest of the Goldfield Hills and for the most part is surrounded by mine tailings. See Figure 6-1 for a map depicting the community boundary. The community hazard assessment classified Goldfield in the Moderate Hazard category (56 points). A summary of factors that contributed to the hazard rating is included in Table 6-3. The primary factors that affected the hazard rating were inadequate street and address signage, home roofing materials and architectural features, and improvements needed in defensible space.
The wildland-urban interface area around Goldfield can best be characterized as intermixed. Structures are scattered throughout the wildland area and there is no clear line of demarcation between wildland fuels and residential structures within the community. All of the lots assessed were on parcels of less than one acre.
Of the 156 homes observed in the interface around Goldfield, 83 percent were built with non-combustible siding materials such as medium density fiberboard (MDF). Similarly, 83 percent of homes were constructed with non-combustible roofing material such as tile, metal, or composition. Nearly half of the homes observed have unenclosed balconies, porches, decks or other architectural features that provide areas where sparks and embers could be trapped, smolder, and ignite, rapidly spreading fire to the home.
Forty percent of the homes surveyed in Goldfield had landscaping that meets the minimum standard for defensible space.
Goldfield is protected by an all-volunteer fire department comprised of nine volunteers and one chief. The Fish Lake Valley, Silver Peak, and Gold Point volunteer fire departments also respond to fire calls in Goldfield. Table 6-1 lists the type of wildfire resources, cooperating partners and equipment available to Goldfield for initial response to a reported wildland fire. Additional cooperating wildfire suppression agencies, equipment, and resources are listed in Table 4-2.
Type of Equipment | Amount of Equipment | Cooperating Partner (Resource Location) |
---|---|---|
Engine Type 3 Water Tender |
1 1 |
Goldfield Volunteer Fire Department (Goldfield) |
Engine Type | 1 | Fish Lake Valley Volunteer Fire Department (Fish Lake Valley) |
Engine Type 3 | 1 | Gold Point Volunteer Fire Department (Gold Point) |
Source: Mike Anderson and Denise Gano, Goldfield VFD. |
Water availability for fire suppression in Goldfield includes:
Fires in Goldfield are reported through 911 calls to the Esmeralda County Sheriff’s Office in Goldfield. Fires are communicated to fire response personnel through Esmeralda County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Dispatch using radios and pagers. The Esmeralda County Sheriff’s Office and the Volunteer Fire Departments have access to the state mutual aid frequencies. The radio system is compatible with neighboring agencies.
All volunteer firefighters receive the State of Nevada entry-level Firefighter training. The Goldfield Volunteer Fire Department does not utilize the Red Card System for individual Qualifications. Red Card certification is part of a fire qualifications management system used by many state and all federal wildland fire management agencies. This certification indicates that an individual is qualified to fight wildland fires.
The Goldfield Volunteer Fire Department responded to 25 calls in 2003. This includes emergency medical calls made in cooperation with the ambulance company in Goldfield. Information was unavailable to separate wildfire and medical calls.
Financial support for the Goldfield Volunteer Fire Department comes from the Esmeralda County General Fund, and through the Town of Goldfield.
Goldfield is included in the Esmeralda County Local Emergency Planning Committee disaster plan and emergency evacuation plan for hazardous material incidents. The Goldfield VFD does not review development plans. The Goldfield VFD has cooperated with Esmeralda County to develop firebreaks in and around the community, and plans to continue doing so in the future.
Vegetative fuel loading in the Goldfield interface area is light, estimated at one to two tons per acre. Fuels in the community consist of scattered Joshua trees and a shrub layer of Bailey’s greasewood, shadscale, littleleaf horsebrush, spiny hopsage, and Mormon tea. Ground fuels consist of cheatgrass, red brome, Indian ricegrass, galleta, and squirreltail. Shrubs and ground fuels are sparse and widely spaced across predominantly flat terrain. The prevailing wind direction is from the south/southwest in the late afternoon. The overall fuel hazard was rated low for the Goldfield community.
The worst-case scenario for Goldfield would begin with an ignition in late afternoon on a high hazard day during a year with above normal precipitation. Increased production of cheatgrass and other annual plants would fill the interspaces between shrubs creating the potential to carry a fire into the shrub layer under windy conditions. High winds (greater than 25 miles per hour) would push fire and send firebrands toward the community. The existing climate and historical fire records indicate that the worst-case scenario is unlikely to occur.
There is no extensive wildfire history in the Goldfield area, although thunderstorms with dry lightning strikes do occur. The ignition risk is lowdue to the low, sparse brush in and around the community. The primary ignition risk in Goldfield would be dry lightning strikes, although human caused ignitions can occur at any time.
The BLM Battle Mountain assessment team reviewed the Goldfield area in March 2003. The overall potential for a catastrophic wildfire was determined to be low due to the semi-arid salt desert shrub vegetation. The BLM assessment made the recommendations for defensible space, community coordination, public education, and fuel reduction. The RCI Project Team concurs with the BLM recommendations:
The recommendations for Goldfield focus primarily on additional efforts that can be taken by community members and public agencies to increase wildland fire safety through the reduction of hazardous fuels that pose a threat to the community. Other recommendations pertain to community coordination and public education efforts that could be initiated to enhance fire safety in Goldfield.
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 form structures. (Refer to Appendix E for the recommended defensible space area). Defensible space reduces the fire intensity and improves firefighter and homeowner chances for successfully defending a structure against oncoming wildfire.
Nevada Fire Safe Council
1187 Charles Drive
Reno, Nevada 89509
(775) 322-2413
www.nvfsc.org
Responsible Party | Recommended Treatments | Recommendation Description |
---|---|---|
Property Owners | Defensible Space | Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes according to the defensible space guidelines provided in Appendix E. Maintain this defensible space annually. Mow or otherwise remove vegetation growing or accumulated along fences. Install spark arresters on chimneys. |
Community Coordination and Public Education |
Make sure adequate address signage is installed on all residences Remove or board up abandoned trailers or other structures to prevent sparks entering and igniting the structure. Form a local chapter of the Nevada Fire Safe Council. |
|
Esmeralda County | Community Coordination and Public Education |
Coordinate with the appropriate county agency to improve street sign visibility. Coordinate with the Assessor’s Office and County Roads Department to ensure that all roads are named, mapped, and identified with GPS locations. |
Goldfield Volunteer Fire Department | Defensible Space | Provide courtesy inspections of defensible space. |
Training and Equipment | Upgrade personal protection equipment for wildland fire fighting. Obtain wildland fire fighting equipment and hand tools. Require Basic Wildland Firefighting training for all volunteer firefighters. Meet annually with the BLM to discuss their pre-attack plan for the community. |
|
Community Coordination and Public Education |
Distribute copies of the publication “Living With Fire” to all property owners. Develop and enforce brush clearance and biomass disposal programs. Allow burning only under a permit process on set days. A Sample Burn Permit is included in Appendix F. |
|
Bureau of Land Management | Fuels Reduction Treatments | Monitor annual vegetation production and permit livestock grazing prior to seed maturity to reduce annual fuel loading. Balance annual stocking rates with annual grass productivity. |
Equipment and Training | Provide Basic Wildland Firefighter Training to volunteers including safety and deployment of fire shelters. |
Figure 6-1Goldfield Suppression Resources |
Table 6-3Goldfield Wildfire Hazard Rating Summary |