14.1 Smoky Valley Hazard and Risk Reduction

Smoky Valley is located in southern Lander and Nye Counties on the east side of the Toiyabe Mountains. The Lander County portion of Smoky Valley includes three ranches, adjacent to State Route 376. See Figure 14-1 for a detail of the community boundary. The Smoky Valley community is composed of widely spaced ranch properties interspersed with large tracts of agricultural and/or public lands. The rural ranch community type does not lend itself to the standard community assessment procedures. Defensible space, suppression resources, and fuel hazard conditions are described qualitatively for the community.

14.1.1 Community Design

This rural ranch community is comprised of three widely dispersed ranches.

14.1.2 Construction Materials

This element of the risk/hazard assessment was not completed for residences in Smoky Valley. Because agricultural fields abut all of the residential properties, there is no risk of a wildland fire spreading to residences, and construction materials are not a primary factor in determining wildfire risks and hazards in Smoky Valley.

14.1.3 Defensible Space

Rural homes are generally surrounded by landscaped yards, corrals, or agricultural pastures with no wildland vegetation in close proximity to structures. These characteristics usually contribute to a low risk of damage or direct loss of property due to wildfires. Hay and alfalfa fields, haystacks, livestock feed yards, farming equipment storage areas, and fuels tanks require special attention when establishing defensible space for protection during a wildfire. Many such areas may not meet recommendations intended to minimize the potential for damage or loss during a wildfire.

14.1.4 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

The Kingston Volunteer Fire Department provides the closest fire suppression resources for Smoky Valley. Table 14-1 lists the types of wildfire resources, cooperating partners and equipment potentially available to Smoky Valley to respond to a reported wildland fire. It is important to note that the actual number and type of suppression resources available to respond from neighboring fire departments and agencies is dependent upon the resources on hand at the time of the wildland fire call.

Table 14-1. Smoky Valley Wildfire Suppression Resources

Type of Equipment	Amount of Equipment	Cooperating Partner (Resource Location)
Type I Engine Type 3 Engine Water Tender	1 1 1	Kingston Volunteer Fire Department (Kingston)
Type 3 Engine Water Tender	1 1	US Forest Service / BLM Interagency (Austin)
Type 3 Engine Type 4 Engine	1 1	BLM Battle Mountain Field Office (Battle Mountain)
Hand Crew (Type 2- Trained)	3	Nevada Division of Forestry Conservation Camp (Tonopah)
Source: Roger James and Shannon Thiss, Kingston VFD; Chad Lewis, Donovan Walker, and Dave Davis, BLM Battle Mountain Field Office; Mike Pattison, Interagency FMO Austin; Kacey KC, NDF State Office; Butch Hayes, BLM Nevada State Office.

Water Sources and Infrastructure

Water sources for fire suppression in Smoky Valley include irrigation wells and ranch ponds.

Detection and Communication

In Smoky Valley fires are reported through 911 calls to the Lander County Sheriff’s Office. Fires are communicated to local volunteer fire departments by the Lander County Sheriff’s Office using radios and pagers. Fires are communicated to federal agency fire personnel by the Central Nevada Interagency Dispatch Center. Nevada Division of Forestry fire crews are dispatched from the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center or the Elko Interagency Dispatch Center.

14.1.5 Factors That Affect Fire Behavior

Smoky Valley is situated on an alluvial fan along the east side of the Toiyabe Range. The terrain is generally flat or gently sloping and winds are primarily from the west to southwest. Fuel density in Smoky Valley is light to moderate. Fuels surrounding the agricultural lands are typical shrub types including big sagebrush, shadscale, and greasewood, with some fourwing saltbush and hopsage. Cheatgrass is common.

14.1.6 Worst-Case Wildfire Scenario

The worst-case scenario in Smoky Valley would be a wind-driven fire ignited by dry lightning in the mountains west of the valley. Downslope winds could drive the fire close to residences, fueled by dry vegetation. Fine fuels, such as cheatgrass, grow more densely in higher than normal precipitation years, leaving a thick fuel bed that feeds fire into the shrub layer. Agricultural lands provide a buffer between residences and wildland fuels.

14.1.7 Ignition Risk

There is a moderate potential for ignition from lightning in Smoky Valley, although human caused ignitions can occur at any time.

14.2 Hazard Reduction Recommendations

Despite the reduced risk of damage or loss to structures, residences in Smoky Valley exhibit unique conditions because of their remote location and relative isolation. Hay and alfalfa fields, stockpiled bales, livestock, ranching and farming equipment, and fuel tanks are assets that require special protection because of their considerable value to ranchers and farmers. Not only can stockpiled hay combust or ignite easily, but smoke can make the hay unpalatable and unusable for livestock feed. Defensible space guidelines and other fire safe information that ranchers and other residents in Smoky Valley can use in order to reduce the threat of wildfire to property are provided to ranch operators through the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association and Nevada Farm Bureau. Residents of Smoky Valley can use that information to reduce the threat of wildfire to their property.

14.2.1 Defensible Space Treatments

Property Owner Recommendations

• Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes and outbuildings according to guidelines provided 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 material including woodpiles.
  • Green: Existing plants are healthy and green during the fire season. Irrigate all trees and large shrubs in close proximity to structures to increase their fire resiliency. This is especially important during drought conditions.
• Immediately remove cleared vegetation to an approved disposal site. This material dries quickly and poses a fire risk if left on site.
• Keep the area beneath unenclosed porches and decks free of accumulated vegetation or other flammable debris. Screen or enclose these areas where possible.
• 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.[10] Treatments may need to be repeated the following year to ensure that the seed bank of unwanted grasses has been depleted. Refer to Appendix E for approved seed mixes and planting guidelines that can be used in conjunction with removal of this annual grass.
• Create a firebreak of bare ground or gravel for 100 feet around hay storage areas. Because it is dried plant material, stacked or baled hay is vulnerable to ignitions, as much from internal combustion as from outside sources.
• Plant fire-resistant vegetation in the defensible space area around residential structures and outbuildings. This will enhance fire abatement, especially important in rural areas where water sources are limited or distant.
• Clear a minimum ten-foot area around fuel tanks.
• Maintain defensible space areas annually.

14.2.2 Fire Suppression

Property Owner Recommendations

• Establish backup power systems to assure that functional water sources are available for fire suppression.
• Coordinate with the Bureau of Land Management to pursue grant funding to develop water storage for fire protection and to install water outlets with fire department threads on new and existing water developments for filling water tenders and engines.

Lander County

• Identify a minimum of four people from Smoky Valley who would be likely to provide the initial response to a nearby ignition and coordinate with the Bureau of Land Management or the Nevada Division of Forestry to provide them with Basic Wildland Firefighter Training.
• Pursue grant funding and station a pick-up truck and a one-piece, slip-on, 100 to 200-gallon tank and pump unit with hose and hose reel in Smoky Valley during the fire season. This equipment, fitted properly for the size and weight limitations of the truck, can be used to provide initial attack of small wildfire ignitions.

14.2.3 Public Education and Community Coordination

University of Nevada Cooperative Education

• Develop a version of the “Living With Fire” publication tailored to the concerns of rural Nevada ranchers. The publication should include solutions for power back up, foam and other fire retardant products, fire resistant seeding, water storage adaptations for filling fire engines and water tenders, and suggested site plans.

Table 14-2. Smoky Valley Risk/Hazard Reduction Priority Recommendations

Involved 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.
	Suppression Resources	Establish backup power systems to assure that functional water sources are available for fire suppression. Coordinate with the BLM to pursue grant funding to develop water storage for fire protection and to install water outlets with fire department threads on new and existing water developments for filling water tenders and engines.
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension	Public Education	Develop a “Living With Fire” type of publication tailored to the concerns of rural Nevada ranchers.
Lander County	Community Coordination and Public Education	Identify at least four people who would be likely to provide the initial response to a nearby ignition and coordinate with the fire agencies to provide Basic Wildland Firefighter training. Pursue grant funding and station a pick-up truck fitted with a 100 to 200 gallon tank, pump, and hose in Smoky Valley during the fire season.

Figure 14-1 Smoky Valley Fire History small | large | x-large