13.0 Conclusions

13.1 Pershing County Risk Assessment Conclusions

The recommendations in this report have been developed based on site-specific characteristics observed during the wildfire risk and hazard assessments performed by RCI. These recommendations, both general and specific, provide a starting point for each community mentioned in this report to take a proactive approach in the reduction of risks to life, property, and natural resources due to a wildland fire.

The communities in Pershing County vary from having a low risk of ignition and low hazard factors, as seen in the community of Lovelock, to having a high risk of ignition and high hazard factors, as observed in the case of Unionville. With the exception of Lovelock, communities along the Interstate 80 corridor: Oreana, Rye Patch, Humboldt, Imlay and Mill City, have experienced large wildfires in the interface areas. In these areas, annual grasses including cheatgrass and noxious weeds such as Russian knapweed are becoming the dominant plant species. In addition to replacing native plants, these annual grasses and weeds are highly flammable. These areas are prone to wildfires and will continue to be threatened in the future. Aggressive treatment of these plants and replacement with fire-resistant vegetation, such as those species listed in Appendix I, is necessary to alter the fire cycle and protect the communities and landscape.

Most of the communities in Pershing County do not have local fire protection resources and must rely on neighboring communities and the BLM for their fire protection. Unionville is one such community that has no local fire protection agency and, in addition, is in a remote location in the county. It is critical that property owners in these communities take every step possible to create adequate defensible space and develop a buffer zone between their homes and the wildland areas.

To be most effective, the implementation fire safe practices need to be implemented on a community-wide basis. There is no guarantee that a wildfire will not occur in any of these communities, even if all of the recommendations in this report are implemented. Nonetheless, public awareness, neighbors helping neighbors, and concerned, proactive individuals setting examples for others to follow are just some of the approaches necessary to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition and the hazards inherent in wildland interface areas.