5.1 Hazard and Risk Assessment

Dayton is a rapidly growing community located in northwest Lyon County in an area called the Carson Plains, or better known as Dayton Valley (see Figure 5-1). The valley is bound to the north by the Virginia Range and bound to the south by the Pine Nut Range. The estimated population in Dayton as of 2000 was 5,907 (US Census Bureau, 2000), but it has risen significantly since that time. The Carson River dissects the town into northeast and southwest sectors. A total of 1,219 residences were evaluated during the risk assessment. The risk/hazard assessment resulted in classifying Dayton in the Moderate Hazard category (44 points). The moderate community hazard rating is attributed primarily to the number of homes with unenclosed architectural features, the number of homes with flammable roofing materials, and the fuel loads and potential fire behavior in the area. The community wildfire hazard score sheet is provided at the end of this section. The specific findings for each of the wildland fire assessment parameters are reported below.

5.1.1 Community Design

The urban interface condition in Dayton can be described as both intermix and classic interface. In many areas subdivisions border wildland fuels with a clear line of demarcation between the fuels and the residences. However, where homes have been built on larger lots wildland fuels are often contiguous up to each residence. Lot sizes vary throughout Dayton with the majority of lots less than one acre and a smaller number of lots between one and ten acres. Lots sizes are large on the remaining farm/ranch lands along the Carson River. Structure spacing varies according to lot size.

Roads: The primary access route in Dayton is US Highway 50, which is a paved highway greater than 24 feet wide. The primary access road for residences on the southeast side of the Carson River is Dayton Valley Road. This road is also paved and greater than 24 feet wide, allowing adequate room for fire suppression equipment to maneuver. Approximately three-fourths of the secondary roads in the community are paved.

Signage: Most streets in Dayton have standard metal street signs that are highly visible and easy to read. Residential addresses are easily visible on a majority of homes in Dayton. The clear and visible signage throughout Dayton will assist fire suppression personnel in locating residences under poor visibility conditions that may exist during a wildland fire.

Utilities: The utilities that serve Dayton are a combination of above ground and below ground power lines with scattered areas served by propane. In general, above ground power lines service the area northeast of Dayton Valley Road. Main power lines also run along US Highway 50 and River Road. Most homes over 15 to 20 years old are either served by propane or still have propane tanks on the property. In general, utilities and utility right-of-ways are adequately maintained and pose only a low ignition risk to the community.

5.1.2 Construction Materials

A majority of the homes observed in the interface area were built with fire resistant siding materials. A great majority of the homes had fire resistant roof materials such as composition shingles, metal, or tile roofing. About one-third of the homes observed had unenclosed balconies, porches, decks or other architectural features that can create drafty areas where embers can be trapped, smolder, and ignite, rapidly spreading fire to the home.

5.1.3 Defensible Space

The vast majority of the homes had landscaping that would meet the defensible space requirement to protect the home from damage, or minimize loss during a wildfire.

5.1.4 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

The Central Lyon County Fire Protection District provides wildfire protection. Three fire station locations within Dayton are shown in Figure 5-1. Refer to Section 4.2 for more information on equipment and resources that may be available.

Water Sources and Infrastructure

Water availability for fire suppression in Dayton includes:

• Community wells;
• 500 gallons-per-minute water hydrants within 500 feet of structures throughout most areas;
• Two 1-million-gallon water storage tanks, one 1.3-million gallon water storage tank; one 40,000 gallon water storage tank;
• Water drafting sources and helicopter dip sites including the Carson River, irrigation ditches, and pools that can be used with landowner permission.

The community water system in Dayton operates on electric pumps with back-up generators to the fill the water tanks, and gravity flow to water hydrants.

5.1.5 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior

The Dayton community is dissected by the Carson River. Vegetative fuels along the river corridor included willow, cottonwood, big sagebrush, and salt desert shrub species. The agricultural lands and the golf course on the east side of the river provide a buffer of protection for adjacent homes. On the southeast side of Dayton, the fuel type was characterized by big sagebrush, Mormon tea, and spiny hopsage. Ground fuels included bottlebrush squirreltail and cheatgrass. Average shrub height was approximately one to two feet with wide spacing between plants. The fuel load in this fuel type was estimated at less than one ton per acre; a low fuel hazard.

The fuel type along the valley bottom was characterized by sagebrush and salt desert shrub. Big sagebrush, Mormon tea, spiny hopsage, rabbitbrush, and black greasewood comprised the shrub layer, which ranged between two and three feet in height. Grasses included bottlebrush squirreltail and cheatgrass. The total fuel load was estimated to be two tons per acre and classified as a low to moderate fuel hazard.

The fuel type on sandy soils along the valley bottom was dominated by black greasewood, Indian ricegrass, and bottlebrush squirreltail. In the sandy areas, the spacing between shrubs was greater and shrub height was shorter, an average of one foot, which reduced the fuel load to less than one-half ton per acre.

The terrain around the Dayton area is mostly flat with less than ten percent slopes. The predominant wind direction in the summer is from the west or southwest with downslope winds possible off the Virginia Range.

5.1.6 Fire Behavior Worst-case Scenario

The worst-case fire behavior scenario would likely occur on a high hazard day, during the summer months of a normal to above normal precipitation year. A human caused fire on the southeast side of Dayton near the intersection of Old Como Road and Dayton Valley Road could rapidly spread through the sagebrush fuel if driven by west or southwest winds. Flame lengths of a wind-driven fire in this fuel type could reach six to ten feet in length, helping the fire to spread at an estimated rate of 1,300 to 2,000 feet per hour. The proximity of fire suppression resources in Dayton and implementation of defensible space should reduce likelihood of the worst-case scenario fire occurring.

5.1.7 Ignition Risk Assessment

Dayton is considered to be at high risk for human caused fires due to the rapidly growing population in the area and increased activity on dirt roads surrounding the community. However, the potential for structure loss in the community is low due to proximity of fire suppression resources, low to moderate fuel hazards, and the presence of greenstrips (agricultural lands and the golf course) near some of the residences on the east side of the Carson River.

5.2 Risk and Hazard Reduction Recommendations, Roles, and Responsibilities

The responsibility to keep a community fire safe falls not only on the local fire protection district but also on the residents of the community, businesses, and local governments. The Dayton Risk/Hazard Reduction Recommendations focus primarily on additional efforts that can be taken by community members and public agencies to increase community safety through reduction of fuels that pose a hazard. Other recommendations pertain to community coordination and public education efforts that could be undertaken to enhance fire safety in Dayton. The recommendations are detailed below and summarized in Table 5-1.

5.2.1 Defensible Space Treatments

The density and type of fuel around a home affects the potential fire exposure levels to the home. The goals of defensible space are to reduce the chances of a wildfire spreading onto adjacent property and igniting homes, and to reduce the risk of property loss from wildfire. General guidelines for creating defensible space around residences and structures in the community are given below and are described in detail in Appendix E.

Property Owner Responsibilities

• Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation to create defensible space 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.
• Immediately dispose of cleared vegetation when implementing defensible space treatments. This material dries quickly and poses a fire hazard if left on site.
• Maintain defensible space annually or as needed to keep the space lean, clean, and green.
• Store firewood a minimum distance of 30 feet from structures.
• Mow or remove brush growing against wood fences in the community.
• Reduce (mow or burn) vegetation and remove debris along irrigation channels and unlined ditches to reduce the fuel load.
• Maintain areas under wood decks and porches free of weeds and other flammable debris. Install screens around unenclosed overhangs where possible.
• Clear all vegetation and combustible materials around propane tanks for a minimum distance of 10 feet.

5.2.2 Community Coordination

Coordination among local, state, and federal fire suppression agencies is important in the day-to-day fire prevention activities and becomes critical in the event of a wildland fire. During a wildfire event, firefighters from other communities and states may be dispatched to protect areas they have never been before. This is particularly true in areas that have limited fire suppression resources and will most likely depend on outside assistance in the event of a catastrophic wildland fire. The following recommendations should be implemented in Dayton to enhance community and interagency coordination.

Property Owner Responsibilities

• 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 the threat of wildfire in Nevada’s communities. Through the establishment of a local chapter, local communities will become part of a large network for sharing information and receive notifications 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

• Assure that residential addresses 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.

5.2.3 Public Education

Increased public education on fire safety is critical in communities that have rapidly growing populations, especially when many of the areas being developed are larger lots intermixed with wildland fuels. People moving into the area may be unfamiliar with fire-prone environments.

Central Lyon County Fire Protection District Responsibilities

• 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.
• Enforce or develop county laws, regulations, and ordinances that support implementation and maintenance of defensible space and address fuel reduction responsibilities for absentee homeowners and vacant lots.
• Contact the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and the BLM Carson City Field Office for assistance with public education.

5.3 Summary of Recommendations

Table 5-1. Dayton Risk/Hazard Reduction Priority Recommendations

Responsible Party	Recommended Treatment	Recommendation Description
Property Owners	Defensible Space Treatments	Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes according to the guidelines in Appendix E. Maintain defensible space as needed to keep the space lean, clean, and green. Improve address visibility.
	Community Coordination	Form a local chapter of the Nevada Fire Safe Council
Central Lyon County Fire Protection District	Public Education	Distribute copies of the publication Living with Fire to all property owners. Enforce or develop county laws and ordinances for defensible space and fuel reduction that include responsibilities for absentee owners and vacant lots. Contact Nevada Cooperative Extension and the BLM for assistance with public education.

Figure 5-1 Fire History and Suppression Resources for the Community of Dayton small | large | x-large

Wildfire Hazard Rating Summary