24.1 Risk and Hazard Assessment

The Spanish Springs community is located north of Sparks and northeast of Sun Valley. The community is situated in the valley floor west of Canoe Hill, the Pah Rah Range, and Surgarloaf Peak. The community boundary is shown n Figure 24-1. The community hazard assessment resulted in classifying Spanish Springs in the Moderate Hazard Category (45 points). A summary of factors that contributed to the hazard rating is included in Table 24-3. Primary factors that determined the hazard rating in the Spanish Springs community included the availability of fire suppression resources, the large number of homes with adequate defensible space, and the adequate street and address signage throughout the community.

24.1.1 Community Design

The wildland-urban interface area in the Spanish Springs community is characterized as an intermix condition. There is no clear line of demarcation between wildland fuels and the residential structures in the community. The majority of residences are located on lots less than one acre in size.

• Access: State Route 445 (Pyramid Highway) is the primary transportation route providing access to and from the community. The road is greater than 24 feet wide and provides adequate space for two-way vehicular travel and for fire suppression equipment to maneuver. Secondary roads in the community generally have road grades less than five percent with adequate turn around areas for fire suppression apparatus.
• Signage: All of the street signs in the community are easily visible. Ninety-seven percent 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 above ground. Power lines have been properly maintained, which minimizes the possibility that arcing may start fires in nearby vegetation.

24.1.2 Construction Materials

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

24.1.3 Defensible Space

Approximately 93 percent of the homes surveyed in the Spanish Springs community have landscaping that meets defensible space guidelines to protect the home from damage or loss during a wildfire.

24.1.4 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

Reno Fire Department provides fire suppression services for Spanish Springs. The standard Reno Fire Department dispatch for a wildland fire is shown in Table 24-1. Additional resources are available upon request from local, state, and federal agencies through mutual aid agreements as described in Section 4.1.1.

Table 24-1. Standard Reno Fire Department Wildland Dispatch for Initial Attack Near Spanish Springs

Type of Resource	Amount of Equipment	Cooperating Partner (Resource Location)
Engine Type 3 Engine Type 1 Water Tender Battalion Chief Safety Officer	3 1 1 1 1	Reno Fire Department (Closest available career and volunteer resources)
Source: Roy Slate and Marty Scheuerman Reno FD

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 volunteers will no longer be able to communicate with the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service.

Water Sources and Infrastructure

Spanish Springs has fire hydrants with flow ratings of 1,000 gallons per minute within 1,000 feet of structures in many areas of the community. As new tract home developments are being established the hydrant system is expanding to serve these areas. The water system includes water storage tanks that are filled from wells. Fire hydrants are gravity operated from the water supply tanks. Some areas of the community do not have fire hydrants. The estimated round trip time to additional water supplies to refill fire apparatus is approximately ten to 45 minutes away.

Fire Protection Personnel Qualifications

The Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire Department meets the NWCG 310-1 wildland requirements for training. The Department is in the process of providing additional training for Captains and Chief Officers. They do not currently use the red card system. Many Reno Fire Department members are trained to a higher level and are certified through the red card system, but this is at the discretion of the individual.

Financial Support

The Reno Fire Department is funded from the City of Reno General Fund.

Community Preparedness

Spanish Springs is included in the Washoe County All-Risk Emergency Plan.

24.1.5 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior

The terrain in the Spanish Springs community is generally flat in the valley. Foothills on the west side of the community range between eight to twenty percent slope. The prevailing wind direction is from the south and southwest with strong afternoon winds common during the summer months. The valley bottom is characterized by big sagebrush, greasewood, rabbitbrush, cheatgrass, and bottlebrush squirreltail. Shrubs generally ranged between two and three feet in height. Fuel loads were estimated between one and three tons per acre and were considered a moderate fuel hazard.

On the west side of the community, the vegetation consists of occasional juniper trees and a shrub layer of big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, Mormon tea, horsebrush, and some bitterbrush. The grass layer is dominated by cheatgrass and bottlebrush squirreltail. The fuel load in this area was estimated at three to six tons per acre and was considered a high fuel hazard.

24.1.6 Fire Behavior Worst-Case Scenario

The worst-case scenario would be a fire starting in the northeast part of the community on a high hazard day with strong southwest winds, greater than twenty miles per hour, pushing the fire upslope. This would quickly threaten numerous homes on the south-facing slope.

24.1.7 Ignition Risk Assessment

The ignition risk around the Spanish Springs community is moderate. The area has a history of wildland fires and is prone to summer lightning activity. Rapid community development in the valley bottom is very quickly reducing the wildland fuel load in these areas. Slopes around the valley are being developed with custom homes in the high hazard fuel areas, thus increasing the chances for a human caused ignition.

24.2 Risk and Hazard Reduction Recommendations

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 hazard recommendations for Spanish Springs are directed at fuel reduction and maintenance.

24.2.1 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.
• 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.
• Install spark arrestors on chimneys.
• Maintain the defensible space as needed.

Reno Fire Department Recommendations

• Conduct courtesy inspections of home defensible space measures and assist with implementation of defensible space treatments.

24.2.2 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.

Reno Fire Department Recommendation

• Develop and promote a program for cleaning weeds and debris from around structures and fences in the community and for biomass disposal. Continue to enforce the permit process for open burning.

24.2.3 Fire Suppression Resources and Training

Reno Fire Department Recommendation

• Meet annually with the Bureau of Land Management 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.

24.2.4 Community Coordination

Washoe County Recommendations

• Continue to require all future development in the County 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 County and State levels for consistency in fire safe community planning and enforcement of fire safe ordinances in a unified manner.

24.2.5 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 Fire Department Recommendation

• 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.

24.3 Summary of Recommendations

Table 24-2. Spanish Springs Priority Recommendations to Reduce Wildfire Risks and Hazards

Involved Party	Recommended Treatment	Recommendation Description
Property Owners	Defensible Space Treatments	Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes according to the defensible space guidelines in Appendix E.
Washoe County	Community Coordination	Continue to require all future development in the County to meet the National Fire Codes with regard to community design, building construction and spacing, road construction, water supply, and emergency access. Develop and/or enforce county laws, regulations, and ordinances for defensible space and fuels reduction that include absentee homeowners, vacant lots, and new subdivisions. Facilitate coordinated and collaborative efforts at the County and State levels for consistency in fire safe community planning and enforcement of fire safe ordinances in a unified manner.
Reno Fire Department	Defensible Space Treatments	Conduct courtesy inspections of defensible space condition and assist with implementation of defensible space treatments on private property.
	Fuels Reduction	Develop and promote regular brush clearance and biomass disposal, and continue to enforce the open burn permit programs.
	Resources and Training	Meet annually to discuss and update pre-attack plans for the community.
	Public Education	Distribute copies of the publication “Living with Fire” to all property owners.

Table 24-3 Spanish Springs Wildfire Hazard Rating Summary

Figure 24-1 Spanish Springs Fire History, Suppression Resources, and Critical Features small | large | x-large