29.1 Risk and Hazard Assessment

Washoe City is located southwest of Pleasant Valley and north of the Washoe Valley-West community. Washoe City is situated north of Washoe Lake and south of the Carson Range foothills. The community boundary is shown in Figure 29-1. The community hazard assessment resulted in classifying Washoe City in the Moderate Hazard Category (53 points). A summary of factors that contributed to the hazard rating is included in Table 29-3. Primary factors that determined the hazard rating in Washoe City included the potential fire behavior based on fuel hazards and topographic conditions in the community and limited fire suppression resources.

29.1.1 Community Design

The wildland-urban interface area around Washoe City is characterized as both the intermix and classic interface conditions. The intermix condition is described as those areas where there is no clear line of demarcation between wildland fuels and the residential structures in the community. A clear line of demarcation exists between wildland fuels and residential structures in the classic interface condition. Approximately forty percent of residences are located on lots less than one acre in size and sixty percent are located on lots between one and ten acres in size.

• Access: US Highway 395 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 majority of the community have road grades less than five percent with adequate turn around areas for fire suppression apparatus.
• Signage: About seventy percent of the streets signs in the community are easily visible. 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 above ground. Power lines have not been properly maintained in all areas of the community. Proper maintenance minimizes the possibility that arcing may start fires in nearby vegetation. In some areas of the community, the recommended ten feet of vegetation clearance does not exist around propane tanks.

29.1.2 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. Ninety percent of the residences have roofs of non-combustible material such as tile, metal, or composition. Approximately eleven percent of the homes observed had 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.

29.1.3 Defensible Space

Approximately 89 percent of the homes surveyed in Washoe City have landscaping that meets defensible space guidelines to protect the home from damage or loss during a wildfire.

29.1.4 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

Fire suppression services for Washoe City is provided by Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire District. The standard Reno Fire Department dispatch for a wildland fire is shown in Table 29-1. Other local, state, and federal resources are available upon request through mutual agreements as described in Section 4.1.1.

Table 29-1. Standard Reno Fire Department Wildland Fire Dispatch for Initial Attack Near Washoe City

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: Roy Slate, and Marty Scheuerman, Reno Fire Department

Water Sources and Infrastructure

Water available for fire suppression in Washoe City includes fire hydrants with minimum flow capacities of 1,000 gallons per minute within 1,000 feet of structures in the Washoe Estates Gated Community, and hydrants at Cattleman’s Restaurant, and one hydrant at north end of Washoe Drive. The water system is operated by gravity and eclectic pumps and includes 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 volunteers will no longer be able to communicate with the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service.

Fire Protection Personnel Qualifications

All career firefighters and volunteers of Reno/Truckee meadows Fire Department 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.

All volunteer and seasonal firefighters of Western Region Nevada Division of Forestry are trained to the State Fire Marshal’s Entry Level Firefighter and Firefighter I standards. Basic Wildland Firefighting training is provided by Nevada Division of Forestry and meets 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 (NRS474).

29.1.5 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior

The terrain in the Washoe City community is characterized by southeast facing slopes of eight to twenty percent on the north side of Highway 395 and almost flat slopes between the highway and Washoe Lake. The prevailing wind direction is from the southwest and west. Downslope and cross slope winds are common during summer afternoons.

The exterior fuels on the northwest side of the community are bitterbrush, sagebrush, rabbitbrush, cheatgrass, perennial grasses, and other annual plants. The fuel loads in this area were estimated to range between four and six tons per acre and were considered a high fuel hazard. The fuels in the southwest sector are characterized as overstocked stands of Jeffrey pine with an understory of sagebrush, rabbitbrush, bitterbrush, cheatgrass, and other perennial grasses. Dense brush fuels are also a problem on some interior lots.

29.1.6 Fire Behavior Worst-Case Scenario

The worst-case wildfire scenario for Washoe City would be a dry lightning storm late on a summer afternoon, during a year with above normal precipitation and abundant cheatgrass production. Multiple, simultaneous fire ignitions could occur southwest and/or west of community, west of Highway 395, in timbered areas with a dense brush understory. Strong erratic winds greater than twenty miles per hour could push fires into residential areas. Closed canopy, timbered fuel types with dense brush ladder fuels could easily support a crown fire, making direct ground attack too dangerous for firefighters. The highest potential for structure fires would be homes with wood shake roofs and poor defensible space near undeveloped interior lots with dense brush.

29.1.7 Ignition Risk Assessment

There is a high potential for fire ignition in Washoe City area due to summer afternoon thunderstorms and the high public use of the area. The area has some history of multiple ignitions and large fires.

29.2 Risk and Hazard Reduction Recommendations

The recommendations for the Washoe City community focus primarily on additional efforts that could be taken by property owners to maintain adequate defensible space and provide fuel reduction treatments around the perimeter and the interior of the community to reduce hazardous fuels and lower the probability of a dangerous crown fire. Other recommendations pertain to community coordination and public education efforts that could be undertaken to enhance fire safety

29.2.1 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.
• Replace wood shake roofs with fire resistant roofing material.
• 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 fifteen feet from the ground, but not more that one-third the height of the tree, on all 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.
• 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.
• Replace ornamental junipers with fire resistant species.
• 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.
• 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.

29.2.2 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 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.

US Forest Service and Property Owner Recommendation

• Construct a shaded fuelbreak 200 feet wide from Joy Lake Road south through Davis Creek Park. Thin pines to a basal area of 80 to 100 square feet per acre and remove ladder fuels. (Refer to Appendix E for tree thinning guidelines).

Washoe County Parks Recommendations

• Continue the tree-thinning project in Davis Creek Park to achieve a basal area of 80 to 100 square feet per acre and reduce brushy ladder fuels.

29.2.3 Fire Suppression Resources and Training

Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire Department Recommendation

• Meet annually with the Nevada Division of Forestry, the Bureau of Land Management, and the 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.

29.2.4 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

• Assure 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.

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.

29.2.5 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 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.
• 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 Recommendation

• Participate in public education opportunities and become knowledgeable of emergency evacuation procedures.

29.3 Summary of Recommendations

Table 29-2. Washoe City 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.
	Fuels Reduction	Coordinate with US Forest Service to construct a shaded fuelbreak from Joy Lake Road to Davis Creek Park. Reduce brush and grasses on undeveloped lots.
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.
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/Truckee Meadows Fire Department	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 Washoe City area. Distribute copies of the publication “Living with Fire” to all property owners.
US Forest Service	Fuels Reduction	Coordinate with property owners to construct a shaded fuelbreak from Joy Lake Road to Davis Creek Park.
Washoe County Parks	Fuels Reduction	Continue the tree-thinning project in Davis Creek Park and remove brushy ladder fuels.
Utility Company	Fuels Reduction	Remove trees and thin shrubs beneath power lines and utility poles. Maintain fifteen feet of clearance around utility poles.

Table 29-3 Washoe City Wildfire Hazard Rating Summary

Figure 29-1 Washoe City Fire History, Suppression Resources, and Proposed Mitigation Projects small | large | x-large