12.1 Risk and Hazard Assessment

Paradise Valley is located in east-central Humboldt County along State Route 290 at the north end of Paradise Valley. The hazard assessment was based on observations of 62 residences and resulted in classifying Paradise Valley in the Moderate Hazard category (42 points). A summary of the factors that affected this hazard rating is included in Table 12-3. The community score was most influenced by high density housing areas with limited address signage and limited fire protection resources.

12.1.1 Community Design

The wildland-urban interface condition surrounding Paradise Valley is classic interface with a clear line of demarcation between wildland fuels and the majority of the residential structures in the community. A few residences occur outside of the main town boundary in an intermix condition. Agricultural lands and meadows surround the community. Nearly all of the residences are on lots of less than one acre indicating a high density of structures.

• Roads: State Route 290 is the major transportation route through the community of Paradise Valley. The highway is paved and at least 24 feet in width, allowing for adequate fire suppression maneuverability and two-vehicle passage.
• Signage: The community street signs are easily visible from the road. Residential addresses were visible from the road on almost half of the homes. Clear and visible residential addresses and street signs are important to aid firefighting personnel in locating homes during low visibility conditions that occur during a wildfire.
• Utilities: Utilities are all above ground. Power line corridors have been properly maintained to minimize wildfire damage to electric utilities and reduce the possibility that sparks created by electric utilities might start a fire in adjacent vegetation.

12.1.2 Construction Materials

Nearly all of the structures in the community were built with non-combustible or ignition resistant siding materials. All but four of the residences were built with fire resistant roofing materials. Fifteen percent of the homes observed had an architectural feature such as an unenclosed balcony, porch, or deck that could create drafts and provide a space where firebrands and embers can accumulate, smolder and ignite, rapidly spread fire to the home.

12.1.3 Defensible Space

Over 75 percent of the homes assessed had the minimum requirements recommended for defensible space to help protect the home and minimize the potential for damage or loss during a wildfire.

12.1.4 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

Paradise Valley is protected by the Paradise Valley Volunteer Fire Department, through the Paradise Valley Fire Protection District. At the time that interviews were conducted for this report, the Paradise Valley VFD had 22 volunteer members. The Paradise Ranchos VFD also responds to fire calls in the area. Tables 12-1 lists wildfire suppression resources available for initial attack on a wildland fire call.

Table 12-1. Paradise Valley Wildfire Suppression Resources

Type of Equipment	Amount of Equipment	Cooperating Partner (Resource Location)
Engine Type 3 Engine Type 6 Water Tender	2 1 1	Paradise Valley VFD
Engine Type 3	1	Paradise Hills VFD
Engine Type 4	1	USFS (Paradise Valley)
Source: Personal communication with Chief Rick Latimer, Paradise Valley Volunteer Fire Department.

Bureau of Land Management wildfire suppression resources are available to all Humboldt County communities through cooperative agreements with local fire departments. The equipment listed in Table 4-2 represents resources assigned to the BLM Winnemucca Field Office, available for dispatch within ten to fifteen minutes of notification of a wildfire. The closest available resources at the time of the dispatch would respond.

Water Sources and Infrastructure

Water availability for fire suppression in Paradise Valley includes:

• Community wells,
• One hydrant and a fill station at the fire station,
• Two helicopter fill tanks: one 5,000-gallon and one 1,000-gallon capacity, and
• Four irrigation wells adapted to fill fire engines.

The community water system operates on gravity and electrical pumps. There is no backup emergency generator to run the pumps in the event of a power failure during a wildfire.

Detection and Communication

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office notifies the Paradise Valley Volunteer Fire Department and the Central Nevada Interagency Dispatch Center of wildfires reported by 911 calls. The Central Nevada Interagency Dispatch Center dispatches both Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service resources in Humboldt County.

Fire Protection Personnel Qualifications

The Paradise Valley VFD members are trained to Paradise Valley VFD standards for structure protection, and received BLM Wildland Firefighter Training. The Paradise Valley VFD does not utilize the Red Card system for individual qualifications. A Red Card certification is part of a fire qualifications management system used by many state and all federal wildland fire management agencies to indicate an individual’s qualifications to fight wildfires.

Work Load

The Paradise Valley Volunteer Fire Department responded to four calls in 2003: three emergency medical calls and one wildland/brush fire call.

Financial Support

Funding for the Paradise Valley Volunteer Fire Department comes through the Paradise Valley Fire Protection District. Fire protection districts receive funding through ad valorem and other tax revenues.

Community Preparedness

Humboldt County has a Local Emergency Planning Committee, and Paradise Valley is included in the plan. The Humboldt County Fire Department does not review development plans for the community.

12.1.5 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior

The terrain in Paradise Valley is flat, but mountains surround the community with slopes from ten to twenty percent. Afternoon winds are predominantly from the south-southwest. The area is prone to summer thunderstorms and dry lightning strikes. The fuel hazard in the Paradise Valley interface area is moderate with the fuel load estimated at three to six tons per acre. Fuels surrounding the agricultural fields and pastures in the community consist primarily of big sagebrush, fourwing saltbush, and rabbitbrush with a fine fuel component of cheatgrass and some Great Basin wildrye. Russian thistle is prevalent in some areas.

12.1.6 Worst-Case Wildfire Scenario

The worst-case wildfire scenario for Paradise Valley would begin with a dry lightning strike on a hot summer afternoon in the mountains surrounding the valley. Strong erratic winds typical of thunderstorms would push a fire down slope into the valley from any direction. Since the community is surrounded by irrigated agricultural lands, there is a low potential for structure loss. The greatest impact would be to the watersheds surrounding the community.

12.1.7 Ignition Risk Assessment

Paradise Valley has low ignition risk rating. The primary ignition risks in Paradise Valley are lightning, although human caused ignitions are unpredictable and can occur at any time.

12.2 Hazard Reduction Recommendations, Roles, and Responsibilities

The Paradise Valley risk and hazard reduction recommendations focus on expanding and maintaining defensible space.

12.2.1 Defensible Space Treatments

Vegetation density, type of fuel, and slope gradient around a home affect the potential fire exposure levels to the home. The first goal of defensible space is to reduce the risk of property loss from wildfire by eliminating flammable vegetation near the home, thereby lowering the potential to burn. The second goal of defensible space is to provide firefighters a safer working area from which to defend the home or outbuildings during a wildland fire. Guidelines for improving defensible space around residences and structures are described in detail in Appendix E.

Property Owner Responsibilities

• Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes according to the guidelines in Appendix E. The defensible space zone
  • Lean: There are only small amounts of flammable vegetation.
  • Clean: There is no accumulation of dead vegetation or other flammable debris including woodpiles.
  • Green: Existing plants are healthy and green during the fire season.
• Clear all vegetation and combustible materials around propane tanks for a minimum distance of ten feet.
• Where cheatgrass or other annual grasses have become dominant within the defensible space zone, areas should be mowed prior to seed set or treated with an application of pre-emergent herbicide. Treatments may need to be repeated for several years to ensure that the bank of unwanted annual plant seeds has been depleted. Refer to Appendix E for a recommended seed mixture and planting guidelines that can be used in conjunction with cheatgrass or Russian thistle removal.
• 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 defensible space as needed to keep the space lean, clean, and green.
• 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.

Humboldt County Responsibilities

• Revise county codes and ordinances regarding fuel reduction and defensible space for wildland-urban interface areas to:
  • Require defensible space or fuel reduction treatments on all developed and undeveloped lots within interface areas. If landowners do not complete defensible space treatments or fuel reduction within an allotted time frame, the landowner should be charged for defensible space services through property tax levies.
  • Require fuel reduction treatments and provisions for continued maintenance of the fuel reduction treatments as a condition of approval for new wildland-urban interface subdivisions.

12.2.2 Training and Equipment

Paradise Valley Volunteer Fire Department

• Coordinate with the State Fire Marshall to receive structure suppression training for all volunteers.
• Coordinate with the Bureau of Land Management to maintain ongoing wildland firefighting training and work to obtain Red Card certification for all volunteers.
• Pursue grant funding to acquire additional water storage facilities.

Bureau of Land Management Responsibilities

• Assist the Paradise Valley Volunteer Fire Department in obtaining and administration of red card certification for wildland firefighting.

12.2.3 Community Coordination and Public Education

Many of the most effective activities aimed at reducing the threat of wildfire for the Paradise Valley community require that individual property owners coordinate with each other and with local fire authorities. Public education and awareness, neighbors helping neighbors, and proactive individuals setting examples for others to follow are just some of the approaches that will be necessary to meet the fire safe goals in the community.

Property Owner Responsibility

• Form a local chapter of the Nevada Fire Safe Council. The Nevada Fire Safe Council facilitates solutions to reduce the loss of lives and property from wildfire in Nevada’s communities. Through the establishment of a local 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
  1187 Charles Drive
  Reno, Nevada 89509
  (775) 322-2413
  www.nvfsc.org

Paradise Valley Volunteer Fire Department

• Distribute copies of the publication “Living with Fire” to all property owners. This publication is free of charge and copies can be requested from the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.
• Contact the Bureau of Land Management Winnemucca Field Office and the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension for assistance with public education.

12.2.4 Fuels Reduction Treatments

Humboldt County Responsibilities

• Continue fuel reduction treatments and replacement of roadside vegetation with low growing, fire resistant grasses along county road right-of-ways. Mow existing vegetation to a height of four inches for a distance of twenty feet from the edge of pavement on both sides of road to create a fuelbreak and reduce fuel hazard. Reseed with the recommended seed mixture included in Appendix E if necessary to prevent cheatgrass and other weed invasion.

Bureau of Land Management

• Permit livestock grazing prior to seed maturity to reduce cheatgrass. Balance annual stocking rates with annual cheatgrass grass productivity.

12.3 Summary of Recommendations

Table 12-2. Paradise Valley Priority Recommendations to Reduce Wildfire Risks and Hazards

Responsible Party	Recommended Treatment	Recommendation Description
Property Owners	Defensible Space	Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes according to the defensible space guidelines in Appendix E.
	Community Coordination and Public Education	Form a local chapter of the Nevada Fire Safe Council.
Paradise Valley Volunteer Fire Department	Training and Equipment	Coordinate with the Nevada State Fire Marshall to ensure that all volunteers receive structure fire suppression training. Coordinate with BLM to maintain ongoing wildland fire training and to obtain red card certifications. Pursue grant funding for additional water storage facilities.
	Community Coordination and Public Education	Distribute copies of “Living With Fire” to property owners. Contact the BLM Winnemucca Field Office and University of Nevada Cooperative Extension for assistance with public education.
Bureau of Land Management	Training and Equipment	Assist Paradise Valley VFD in obtaining and administration of red card certifications.
	Fuels Reduction	Permit livestock grazing prior to seed maturity to reduce cheatgrass. Balance annual stocking rates with annual cheatgrass grass productivity.
Humboldt County	Defensible Space	Revise codes and ordinances to require and enforce defensible space treatments on all lots in the interface area. Require provisions for fuel reduction treatment implementation and maintenance as a condition of new subdivision approval in the interface areas.
	Fuels Reduction Treatments	Continue roadside fuel reduction treatments by mowing vegetation to a height of 4 inches within 20 feet of each side of the roads.

Figure 12-1 Paradise Valley Fire History, Suppression Resources, and Critical Features small | large | x-large

Table 12-3 Paradise Valley Wildfire Hazard Rating Summary