4.0 County-Wide Assessment Results
4.1 County-wide Risk and Hazard Assessment Overview
During June of 2004, the RCI Project Team evaluated ten communities in Nye County. Inventory and analyses of community design aspects (roads, signage, utility infrastructure), defensible space conditions, construction materials, architectural features, wildland-urban interface characteristics, fuel types, and fuel hazards resulted in an overall hazard rating for each community. The results of these assessments are summarized in Table 4-1.
| Community | Fire Protection Agency | Interface Condition | Interface Fuel Hazard Condition | Ignition Risk Rating | Community Hazard Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amargosa Valley | Amargosa VFD | Intermix | Low | Low | Moderate |
| Beatty | Beatty VFD | Intermix | Low | Low | Moderate |
| Belmont | Belmont VFD | Intermix | High to Extreme | High | High |
| Carvers | Smoky Valley VFD | Intermix | Low to High | High | Moderate |
| Gabbs | Gabbs VFD | Classic Interface / Intermix | Low to Moderate | Low | Moderate |
| Hadley (Round Mountain) | Round Mountain VFD | Classic Interface | Low | Low | Low |
| Ione | None | Intermix | Moderate to Extreme | High | Extreme |
| Manhattan | Manhattan VFD | Intermix | High to Extreme | High | Extreme |
| Pahrump | Pahrump FD | Intermix | Low | Moderate | Low |
| Tonopah | Tonopah VFD | Classic Interface | Low to Moderate | Low | Low |
4.1.1 Wildfire Protection Resources
All of the Nye County communities, except Ione, have some type of fire department, either volunteer, career, or a combined department. Suppression resources for the individual fire departments in Amargosa Valley, Beatty, Belmont, Carvers, Gabbs, Manhattan, Pahrump, Hadley, and Tonopah are described in their respective community descriptions. In March 2004, the Nye County Commissioners accepted bids totaling $2.87 million for fire suppression equipment including eight water tenders, four rescue vehicles, and two fire engines. The equipment was expected to be delivered to the county in December 2004.
State and federal wildland fire suppression resources available to Nye County are requisitioned through interagency dispatch centers. In the north-county communities of Belmont, Carvers, Gabbs, Manhattan, Hadley, and Tonopah, along with the lands north of Beatty, federal resources are dispatched through the Central Nevada Interagency Dispatch Center located in Winnemucca. State resources, such as fire crews from the Nevada Division of Forestry Tonopah Conservation Camp are dispatched through the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center. Federal resources for the south-County, Pahrump, Amargosa Valley, and the lands south of Beatty, are dispatched through the Las Vegas Interagency Communication Center. In addition to local resources, state and federal wildland suppression resources are available for suppression on public lands in Nye County through three organizations: the Bureau of Land Management Field Offices in Battle Mountain, Ely, Winnemucca, and Carson City; the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Austin and Tonopah Ranger Districts; and the US Fish and Wildlife Service at Ash Springs National Wildlife Refuge. Table 4-2 summarizes typical wildfire suppression resources, cooperating partners, and equipment available to respond to wildland fires to the communities in Nye County. The availability of the listed resources will vary depending on time of year and resource needs in other areas.
| Type of Equipment | Amount of Equipment | Cooperating Partner (Resource Location) |
|---|---|---|
| Type 3 Engine Water Tender |
1 1 |
BLM (Austin Interagency Station) |
| Type 6 Engine | 1 | USFS (Ely District) |
| Type 3 Engine | 1 | BLM (Carson City) |
| Type 4 Engine | 1 | BLM (Pahrump) |
| Type 4 Engine | 1 | USFS (Pahrump) |
| Additional Resources, including Helicopter Air Tanker |
Multi-agency as requested. Nearest available resources are dispatched through the Central Nevada Interagency Dispatch Center or the Las Vegas Interagency Communication Center | |
| Source: Personal Communication with Dave Davies, BLM Battle Mountain Fire Management Officer. | ||
4.1.2 Detection and Communication
Fires are reported in Nye County by calling 911, which connects the caller with one of the Nye County Sheriff’s Offices. The Nye County Sheriff’s Office dispatch contacts the nearest resources, usually the volunteer fire department. The Nevada Division of Forestry, the Bureau of Land Management, and/or the US Forest Service are called and are dispatched from on of the following dispatch centers:
- The Central Nevada Interagency Dispatch Center,
- The Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center, and
- The Las Vegas Interagency Communication Center.
Fires may be communicated to fire response personnel through the Nye County Sheriff’s Office in Tonopah, Beatty, or Pahrump and interagency dispatch centers by means of radios, pagers, and telephones. The Nye County Sheriff Offices have access to the state mutual aid frequencies. The radio system is also compatible with neighboring agencies.