4.0 County-Wide Assessment Results
4.1 County-wide Hazard and Risk Assessment Overview
During January and February of 2004, assessment teams visited the eight communities described in this report. Their evaluations of community design aspects (roads, signage, utility infrastructure), defensible space characteristics, construction materials and architectural features, wildand-urban interface qualities, and fuel densities resulted in the overall hazard rating for the community. The key quantifiable components of these assessments are summarized in Table 4-1.
| Community | Interface Condition | Overall Fuel Density | Ignition Risk | Fire Suppression | Hazard Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grass Valley | Intermix | Light to Medium | High | 16-member VFD | Moderate |
| Humboldt | Rural | Light to Medium | Low | None | High |
| Imlay | Classic | Light | Low | VFD | Moderate |
| Lovelock | Classic | Light | Low | 28-member VFD | Moderate |
| Mill City | Intermix | Light to Medium | High | None | Moderate |
| Nightingale | Not Assessed | Not Assessed | Not Assessed | Not Assessed | Not Assessed |
| Oreana | Intermix | Light | Low | None | Moderate |
| Rochester | Not Assessed | Not Assessed | Not Assessed | Not Assessed | Not Assessed |
| Rye Patch | Intermix | Medium | High | 12-member VFD | Moderate |
| Unionville | Intermix | Light to Medium | High | None | Extreme |
4.1.1 Wildfire Suppression Resources
| Type of Equipment | Amount of Equipment | Cooperating Partner (Resource Location) |
|---|---|---|
| Engine Brush Truck Water Tender (4,000 gal.) |
1 2 1 |
Grass Valley VFD (Grass Valley) |
| Brush Truck Pumper Water Tender Command Vehicle |
1 1 1 1 |
Lovelock VFD (Lovelock) |
| Type II Engine Water Tender |
1 1 |
Imlay VFD (Imlay) |
| Engine | 1 | Rye Patch VFD (Rye Patch) |
| Source: Jim Mahaffry and Susan Mahaffry, pers. comm. Feb. 11, 2004, Merv Lent, pers. comm. Feb 19, 2004, Imlay Fire Chief Chuck Rasco, pers. comm. Feb 9, 2004,. Harry Mosby, John Moe, and Kathy Moe, pers. comm. Feb 10, 2004. | ||
The initial response to a wildland fire by volunteer-staffed fire departments will vary depending on day of week and time of day that the fire is reported. Some volunteer fire department members may be unable to respond immediately to fire calls during normal working hours.
State- and Federal-Level wildland firefighting suppression resources are available to Pershing County through the Winnemucca BLM office; state resources such as hand crews are available through the Nevada Division of Forestry, whose nearest resource yard is also in Winnemucca. Table 4-3 lists Federal and State wildfire resources, cooperating partners and equipment available to communities within Pershing County in the event of a wildland fire. The availability of the listed resources may vary depending on the time of year and resource needs in other areas.
| Response Time | Type of Equipment | Amount of Equipment | Cooperating Partner (Resource Location) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes to 2+ hours, depending on distance from Winnemucca | Supervisor Engine Water Tender Bulldozer Air Attack Helicopter Single Engine Air Tanker |
1 3 1 1 1 1 1 |
BLM (Winnemucca) |
| 1 to 2 hours | Engine | 1 | Winnemucca RFD (Winnemucca) |
| 1 to 2+ hours, depending on distance from Winnemucca | Hand Crews Additional Equipment as requested |
4 | NDF (Winnemucca) BLM (Winnemucca) |
| 2+ hours | Additional resources based on request and availability through the Department of Emergency Management and Central Nevada Interagency Dispatch Center (CNIDC) | NDF (Winnemucca) BLM (Winnemucca) |
|
| Source: Personal Communication with Merv Lent, BLM FMO, Winnemucca District, February 19, 2004. | |||
4.1.2 Detection and Communication
Fires are reported in Pershing County through:
- 911 calls (where available)
- Calls to Pershing County Emergency Dispatch
Fires are communicated to fire response personnel through the use of
- Emergency Dispatch through the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office in Lovelock
- Radios with the following frequencies: Pershing County Sheriff’s Department-154.965; Pershing County Fire Department-153.890
- Pagers and telephones where volunteer fire departments exist
- Fires requiring suppression assistance from outside the county’s resource pool can be reported by the local law enforcement agencies or fire dispatches to the Central Nevada Interagency Dispatch Center (CNIDC) in Winnemucca.
The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office has access to the state mutual aid frequencies (NDF 158.89500, BLM 170.02500). The radio system is compatible with neighboring agencies, however, there are gaps in radio coverage in some areas.
4.2 County-wide Recommendations
- Pershing County has an active Local Emergency Planning Committee and has adopted an all-risk, multi-agency emergency plan, periodically updated and last revised in 2003. This committee provides an excellent forum for the coordination of an annual readiness meeting for all Cooperating fire suppression organizations during which the BLM’s pre-attack plan, updated annually, could be reviewed.
- Communities with volunteer fire departments should take advantage of the opportunity to promote fire safe concepts to the public through the organization and execution of annual community fire awareness events. The communities in Pershing County with volunteer fire departments are Grass Valley, Rye Patch, Imlay, and Lovelock.
- Public education on how to become more fire safe is critical in communities where no permanent fire authority is present. In Pershing County these communities are Humboldt, Mill City, Oreana, and Unionville.
- Pershing County Code currently requires that the local Sheriff’s Office be notified before a property owner initiates an open burn. Promoting compliance with this code will help reduce the incidence of open fires as one of the most common ignition sources for uncontrolled wildfires. A sample burn permit for establishing a formal permit process is included in Appendix G.
- It is recommended that in reviewing development plans, Pershing County incorporate the eight recommendations described in Appendix F, the NDF Firesafe Community Recommendations for Planning New Developments.
- Russian knapweed was observed as prevalent throughout Pershing County; as a noxious weed, its spread should be checked. Knapweed is discussed in further detail in Appendix H.
Specific community-level mitigation recommendations are made in the sections describing individual communities, where assessments of ignition risks and fire hazards warrant.