21.1 Risk and Hazard Assessment

The Reno-Northwest community includes the portion of Reno that is located north of Interstate 80 and west of US Highway 395. The community is situated along the south, east, and north-facing slopes of Peavine Peak.

The Reno-Northwest community boundary is shown in Figure 21-1. The-community boundary encompasses geographically diverse conditions, varied fuel conditions, and a wide range of urban development styles. The results reported for this project represent a general overview of the entire urban-interface condition. The community hazard assessment resulted in classifying Reno-Northwest in the Moderate Hazard Category (42 points). A summary of factors that contributed to the hazard rating is included in Table 21-3. The primary factors that determined the hazard rating in Reno-Northwest included fire behavior potential in the area, the high number of homes with adequate defensible space, and the high availability of career-level fire suppression resources throughout the community.

Portions of Reno-Northwest are rapidly expanding and community boundaries shown in this report will need to be updated on a regular basis. More detailed analyses of smaller neighborhoods within the communities could better reflect community risk and hazard conditions at the local level.

21.1.1 Community Design

The wildland-urban interface area in Reno-Northwest is characterized as the classic interface condition. There is a clear line of demarcation between wildland fuels and the residential structures in the community. Most of the residences are located on lots less than one acre in size.

• Access: US Highway 395, Interstate 80, McCarran Boulevard, Virginia Street, Mae Anne Avenue, and Robb Drive are the primary transportation routes providing access to and from the community. These roads are greater than 24 feet wide and provide adequate space for two-way vehicular travel and for fire suppression equipment to maneuver.
• Signage: Ninety-six percent of the street signs in the community are easily visible. Almost all of the residential addresses are easily visible from the road. Clear and visible street signs and residential addresses are important in locating homes during low visibility conditions that occur during a wildfire.
• Utilities: All utilities are both above and below ground. Power lines and power substations have not been properly maintained in all areas of the community. Proper maintenance minimizes the possibility that arcing may start fires in nearby vegetation.

21.1.2 Construction Materials

All of the homes in the interface are built with non-combustible or ignition resistant siding such as medium density fiberboard, stucco, or brick. Ninety-eight percent of the homes have roofs of non-combustible material such as tile, metal, or composition. Approximately twelve percent of the homes observed have unenclosed balconies, porches, decks, or other architectural features that create drafty areas where sparks and embers can be trapped, smolder, ignite, and rapidly spread fire to the house.

21.1.3 Defensible Space

Approximately 95 percent of the homes surveyed in the Reno-Northwest community have landscaping that meets defensible space guidelines to protect the home from damage or loss during a wildfire.

21.1.4 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

The Reno-Northwest neighborhoods are included in the Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire District. Two fire stations within the community are located at Hoag Road and Virginia Street, and at Kings Row and Mae Anne. Each Station is staffed by four career firefighters daily. The standard Reno Fire Department dispatch for a wildland fire is shown in Table 21-1. Other local, state, and federal resources are available upon request through mutual agreements as described in Section 4.1.1.

Table 21-1. Standard Reno Fire Department Wildland Fire Dispatch for Initial Attack Near Reno-Northwest

Type of Resource	Amount of Equipment	Cooperating Partner (Resource Location)
Engine Type III Engine Type I Water Tender Battalion Chief Safety Officer	3 1 1 1 1	Reno Fire Department (Closest available career and volunteer resources)
Source: Inter. with Roy Slate, and Marty Scheuerman, Reno Fire Department on 9/21/04

Water Sources and Infrastructure

Water available for fire suppression in Reno northwest area includes fire hydrants with a minimum flow capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute within 500 feet of structures. The water system operates by gravity and electric pumps with emergency backup generators and several water storage tanks.

Detection and Communication

Fires are reported in Washoe County through the 911 system, which connects the call with the Washoe County 911 Center. Washoe County 911 notifies the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center of wildland fires. The Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center notifies the Volunteer Fire Departments, the Nevada Division of Forestry, the Bureau of Land Management, and the US Forest Service of fires through the use of pagers and radios.

Communication frequencies are currently compatible between agencies. When the federal agencies go to narrow band digital radios, the Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire Department may no longer be able to communicate with the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service.

Fire Protection Personnel Qualifications

All career firefighters are trained to the State Fire Marshal’s Firefighter I and II standards. Wildland firefighting training is provided to meet the NWCG 310-1 standards.

Financial Support

Financial support for the Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire Department is provided through the City of Reno General Fund and Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District (NRS 474).

Community Preparedness

Washoe County maintains an Emergency Plan for Hazardous Materials through the Washoe County Local Emergency Planning Committee and the City of Reno is currently completing All-Risk Disaster Plan with the intentions of incorporating the recommendations from this report into the City plan. Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire Department does some pre-attack Planning.

21.1.5 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior

The community of Reno-Northwest is situated along the base of Peavine Peak. Terrain in the subdivisions situated on the northeast side of the mountain (Black Springs and Horizon Hills) is gently sloping with a slightly northeast-facing aspect. In the Raleigh Heights area, the terrain is steeper with north-facing slopes between eight and twenty percent. Where subdivisions are located on the south-facing slope of Peavine Peak, piedmont fans are the dominant terrain feature with steep drainages dissecting the fans. Many homes are built adjacent to the steep slopes of the drainages.

The landscape around most of the community has been burned at some time in the past. The fuels are dominated by cheatgrass, other annuals, and some rabbitbrush, sagebrush, and bitterbrush. Russian thistle is prevalent along roads and in disturbed areas. The greatest fuels concerns from Raleigh Heights west to the end of the Somerset Parkway are heavy fuels in unburned drainages on steep slopes, and heavy fuels in open space areas of some subdivisions. These areas were considered high fuel hazards. The fuel hazard condition elsewhere within the community was generally considered moderate.

21.1.6 Fire Behavior Worst-Case Scenario

The worst-case scenario for the Horizon Hills and Black Springs area would be a dry lightning storm late on a summer afternoon, during a year with above normal precipitation and abundant cheatgrass production. Multiple fire ignitions to the west or south of the community would be pushed down slope or across slope into the community by strong erratic winds, greater than twenty miles per hour. The remaining neighborhoods of Reno northwest would have a similar worst-case scenario. These neighborhoods have the additional problem of steep narrow drainages that act as natural chimneys below structures that tend to have the heaviest fuel concentrations. Little or no access to the area behind the structures in the drainages will make suppression difficult. This condition is illustrated in Photo 6 of Appendix C. Overhanging wood decks and wood fences will also increase the potential for structure loss. Ornamental junipers used in landscaping will increase fire intensities next to structures.

21.1.7 Ignition Risk Assessment

There is a high fire ignition risk in the Reno-Northwest community due to the tendency for summer afternoon thunderstorm activity and high use of the area by the public. The area has a history of multiple ignitions and large fires.

21.2 Risk and Hazard Reduction Recommendations

The hazard reduction recommendations for Reno-Northwest focus on defensible space and fuel reduction treatments to break up fuel bed continuity.

21.2.1 Defensible Space Treatments

Defensible space treatments are an essential first line of defense for residential structures. The goal of the treatments is to significantly reduce or remove flammable vegetation within a prescribed distance from structures. (Refer to Appendix E for the recommended defensible space area). Defensible space reduces the fire intensity and improves firefighter and homeowner chances for successfully defending a structure against oncoming wildfire.

Property Owner Recommendations

• 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 amount 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.
• Store firewood a minimum distance of thirty feet from structures.
• Clear all dead plant material and combustible materials a minimum of five feet from the exterior of all structures.
• Mow or remove brush growing against fences in the community. The minimum distance for clearance should be ten feet in grass and 25 feet in brush.
• Enclose areas under wood decks and porches when possible or maintain these areas to be free of weeds and other flammable debris. Box in eves and cover ventilation openings with very fine metal wire mesh to prevent embers from entering the attic and crawl spaces.
• Clear all vegetation and combustible materials around propane tanks for a minimum of ten feet.
• Clear weeds and brush to a width of ten feet along both sides of the driveways.
• Maintain a minimum clearance of thirty feet from the crown of trees that remain within the defensible space zone. Keep this area free of smaller trees, shrubs, and other ladder fuels.
• Trim and remove tree branches a minimum of four feet from the ground to reduce ladder fuels on all deciduous and coniferous trees within the defensible space zone. Prune all dead and diseased branches.
• Prune all tree branches to a minimum distance of fifteen feet from buildings, paying special attention around chimneys.
• Install spark arrestors on chimneys.
• Replace wood shake roofs with fire resistant roofing material.
• Mow grass within the defensible space zone to maintain a maximum height of four inches.
• Thin sagebrush and other shrubs to a spacing between shrubs that is equal to twice the shrub height.
• Immediately dispose of cleared vegetation when implementing defensible space treatments. This material dries quickly and poses a fire hazard if left on site.
• Where possible, irrigate all trees and large shrubs that remain in close proximity to structures to increase their fire resiliency. This is especially important during drought conditions.
• Replace ornamental junipers and other flammable landscape plants with fire resistant species.
• Where cheatgrass has become dominant within the defensible space zone, areas should be mowed prior to seed maturity or treated with an application of a pre-emergent herbicide. Treatments may need to be repeated for several years to ensure that the seed bank of unwanted annual grass seeds has been depleted. Refer to Appendix E for a recommended seed mixture and planting guidelines that can be used in conjunction with cheatgrass removal.
• Maintain the defensible space as needed.

21.2.2 Fuels Reduction Treatments

Fuel reduction treatments are applied on a larger scale than defensible space treatments. Permanently changing the fuel characteristics over large blocks of land to one of a lower volume and altered distribution reduces the risk of a catastrophic wildfire in the treated area. Reducing vegetation along roadways and driveways could reduce the likelihood of blocking access and escape routes, help contain the fire perimeter, and improve firefighter access and safety for protecting homes.

Utility Company Recommendation

• Reduce and remove vegetation to maintain clearance around power lines. Clear vegetation within fifteen feet of utility poles near the community. Remove all trees from under power lines. Reduce and remove vegetation to maintain a minimum clearance of thirty feet from fences around power substations.

Washoe County Roads Department and Nevada Department of Transportation Recommendation

• Reduce vegetation and maintain roads by mowing all vegetation to a height of no more than four inches for a distance of twenty feet from the edge of the pavement on both sides of the road. Remove biomass and dispose at an appropriate site. Reseed treated areas with fire resistant species such as recommended in Appendix E to minimize cheatgrass and noxious weed invasion.

Property Owners and US Forest Service Recommendations

• Construct and maintain a fuelbreak 100 to 150 feet wide around Horizon Hills by mowing brush and grass to a height not to exceed four inches Reseed treated areas with fire resistant species such as recommended in Appendix E to minimize cheatgrass and noxious weed invasion.
• Use hand crews to construct and maintain a fuelbreak 100 feet wide on the steep slopes west and northwest of Raleigh Heights Reseed treated areas with fire resistant species such as recommended in Appendix E to minimize cheatgrass and noxious weed invasion.
• Construct and maintain a series of fuelbreaks 100 feet wide and fuel reduction treatments in steep drainages, greenbelts, and open spaces between subdivisions throughout the Reno-Northwest community as shown in Figure 21-1. Thin shrubs to a spacing equal to twice the height of the shrubs to break up fuel continuity and reduce fire intensity.

Union Pacific Railroad Recommendation

• Mow or reduce vegetation within a minimum distance of twenty feet on both sides of the railroad tracks. Reseed according to the recommendations in Appendix E if necessary to prevent cheatgrass or other noxious weed invasion. Maintain low growing, low-density fuel volumes within the railroad corridors to reduce the wildfire ignition risk and hazard.

21.2.3 Fire Suppression Resources and Training

Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire Department Recommendation

• Meet annually with the Nevada Division of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management, and US Forest Service to review pre-attack plans and to coordinate firefighting resources and response procedures including testing radio compatibility and coverage. Upgrade radios to new narrowband/digital technologies as needed to maintain communications with the federal agencies.

21.2.4 Community Coordination

Property Owner Recommendations

• 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 wildfire in Nevada’s communities. Through the establishment of a local Chapter, local communities will become part of a large network for sharing information including notification 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
  www.nvfsc.org

• Ensure that address signs 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.

City of Reno Recommendations

• Continue to require all future development in the wildland-urban interface areas round Reno to meet the National Fire Codes with regard to community design, building construction and spacing, road construction and design, water supply, and emergency access. Refer to Appendix F for an example of fire safe recommendations for planning new developments.
• Develop and enforce ordinances regarding fuel reduction and defensible space requirements for wildland-urban interface areas. Require defensible space implementation and maintenance on all developed lots and fuel reduction on all vacant lots within the interface area. Require approval by the appropriate fire agency of completed fuel reduction treatments prior to issuance of building permits for new wildland-urban interface developments.
• Facilitate coordinated and collaborative efforts at the local, County and State levels for consistency in fire safe community planning and enforcement of fire safe ordinances in a unified manner.

Reno / Truckee Meadows Fire Department Recommendation

• Conduct more detailed analyses of smaller neighborhoods within the community to better reflect community risk and hazard conditions at the local level.

21.2.5 Public Education

A public education program that explains fire safe measures in clear and emphatic terms will have an impact on residents of the wildland-urban interface. Informed community members will be more inclined to make efforts to effectively reduce wildfire hazards around their homes and neighborhoods.

Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire Department

• 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.
• Prepare an evacuation plan and post or otherwise distribute this plan to residents. This plan should include information regarding evacuation routes, evacuation procedures, designated fire safe zones, and procedures for sheltering in place in case evacuation becomes infeasible during a fast moving firestorm.

Property Owner Recommendations

• As an evacuation plan becomes available, citizens should read and become fully knowledgeable of evacuation procedures, fire safety zones, and safety procedures for sheltering in place in the event that evacuation is not possible.

21.3 Summary of Recommendations

Table 21-2. Reno - Northwest Priority Recommendations to Reduce Wildfire Risks and Hazards

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.
	Community Coordination	Form a local chapter of the Nevada Fire Safe Council Improve address visibility from the road.
	Public Education	Participate in public education opportunities and become knowledgeable of emergency evacuation procedures
Property Owners and US Forest Service	Fuels Reduction	Construct and maintain fuelbreak 100 feet wide around Horizon Hills. Reseed according to the recommendations in Appendix E if needed to control cheatgrass and noxious weeds. . Construct and maintain a fuelbreak around Raleigh Heights. Reseed according to the recommendations in Appendix E if needed to control cheatgrass and noxious weeds. Construct and maintain fuelbreaks and fuel reduction treatments in steep drainages, greenbelts, and open spaces between subdivisions throughout Reno-Northwest.
Utility Company	Fuels Reduction	Reduce and maintain vegetation in power line corridors. Maintain fifteen feet of clearance around utility poles.
Washoe County Nevada Department of Transportation	Fuels Reduction	Reduce and remove vegetation in road right-of-ways to maintain an average four-inch vegetation height. Reseed treated areas to minimize cheatgrass and noxious weed invasion.
City of Reno	Community Coordination	Continue to require all future development in the City to meet the national fire codes with regard to community design, building construction, road construction, water supply, and emergency access. Develop and/or enforce county laws and regulations for fuels reduction that include absentee homeowners, vacant lots, and new subdivisions. Facilitate coordinated and collaborative efforts at the local, County and State levels for consistency in fire safe community planning and enforcement of fire safe ordinances in a unified manner.
Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire Department	Community Coordination	Conduct more detailed risk and hazard assessments in smaller neighborhoods.
	Resources and Training	Meet annually with the Nevada Division of Forestry, the US Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management to discuss and update pre-attack plans for the community and test radio coverage and compatibility.
	Public Education	Develop an emergency evacuation plan for Reno Northwest area. Distribute copies of the publication “Living with Fire” to all property owners.
Union Pacific Railroad	Fuels Reduction	Reduce and remove vegetation twenty feet on both sides of railroad tracks.

Table 21-3 Reno - Northwest Wildfire Hazard Rating Summary

Figure 21-1 Reno - Northwest Fire History, Suppression Resources, Critical Features, and Proposed Mitigation Projects small | large | x-large