32.1 Risk and Hazard Assessment

The Reno-Southwest community includes the portion of Reno that is located south of Interstate 80, west of Virginia Street, and north of the Mt. Rose Highway (State Route 431). The community is situated along the east-facing slope of the Carson Range and the Truckee Meadows valley.

The Reno-Southwest community boundary is shown in Figure 32-1. 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-Southwest in the Low Hazard Category (40 points). A summary of factors that contributed to the hazard rating is included in Table 32-3. Primary factors that determined the hazard rating in Reno-Southwest included fire behavior potential in the area and the high availability of career-level fire suppression resources throughout the community.

Portions of Reno Southwest 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.

32.1.1 Community Design

The wildland-urban interface area in Reno-Southwest 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, Mt. Rose Highway (State Route 431), McCarran Boulevard, and Virginia Street are some of the primary transportation routes providing access to and from the community. The 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-eight percent 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 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. In some areas of the community, the recommended ten feet of vegetation clearance does not exist around propane tanks.

32.1.2 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-one percent of the homes have roofs of non-combustible material such as tile, metal, or composition. Approximately fifteen percent of the homes observed had 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.

32.1.3 Defensible Space

Approximately 86 percent of the homes surveyed in the Reno-Southwest community had landscaping that meets defensible space guidelines to protect the home from damage or loss during a wildfire.

32.1.4 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

The Reno-Southwest neighborhoods are included in the Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire District. Four fire stations within the community are located at Old Virginia Road, Moana Lane, Skyline Boulevard, Double Diamond, and Mayberry. Each station is staffed by four career firefighters daily. Nevada Division of Forestry Station 8 is staffed by three career firefighters. Galena Volunteer Fire Department Station 81 also protects the southern portion of this area. Other local, state, and federal resources are available upon request through mutual agreements as described in Section 4.1.1. The resources within and near the community for response to a reported wildland fire are summarized in Table 32-1.

Table 32-1. Standard Reno Fire Department Wildland Fire Dispatch for Initial Attack Near the Reno-Southwest Community

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)
Engine Type 3 Water Tender Type 1	2 1	Nevada Division of Forestry (Station 8 - Galena)
Engine Type 3 Engine Type 2 Engine Type 1	2 1 1	Galena Volunteer Fire Department (NDF Stations 81 and 82 - Galena)
Source: Pete Cannizzaro, Chief Galena VFD; Joe Reinhardt ,BC, Nevada Division of Forestry; Marty Scheuerman DC, Reno Fire Department; Roy Slate Volunteer Coordinator Reno Fire Department.

Water Sources and Infrastructure

Water available for fire suppression in Galen includes fire hydrants with minimum flow capacities of 1,000 gallons per minute within 1,000 feet of structures. The water system operates by gravity and electric pumps with emergency backup generators and several water storage tanks. Some of the older neighborhoods such as the Five Acre Tract and lower Whites Creek do not have adequate fire hydrants.

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 and volunteer 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.

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.

32.1.5 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior

The Reno-Southwest community is situated along the base of the east-facing slopes of the Carson Range. Slopes generally range between from eight and twenty percent with steeper slopes in the drainages. The prevailing wind direction is from the south and southwest with downslope and cross slope winds common during summer afternoons.

In the Juniper Hills/Juniper Trails area of the community, the vegetative fuels consist of juniper, big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, bitterbrush, Mormon tea, cheatgrass, and perennial grasses. The fuel load in this vegetation type was estimated at four to six tons per acre and was considered a high fuel hazard.

Further south in the Callahan Ranch Road area, the vegetation is dominated by Jeffrey pine trees with mountain mahogany, big sagebrush, bitterbrush, and rabbitbrush in the understory. Cheatgrass, perennial grasses, squaw carpet, pine needles, and pinecones compose the ground fuels in this vegetation type. The fuel loads were estimated to range between ten and eighteen tons per acre and considered a high fuel hazard.

In the Saddlehorn/White’s Creek area the vegetative fuels primarily consist of big sagebrush, bitterbrush, and rabbitbrush, with cheatgrass and perennial grasses occupying the spaces under and between the shrub canopies. In this area the fuel loads were estimated at six to ten tons per acre and considered a high fuel hazard.

Vegetative fuels in the area previously burned by the Arrow Creek fire in 2000 currently consist of rabbitbrush and cheatgrass. The fuel load within the fire scar was estimated at less than one ton per acre and was considered a low fuel hazard.

32.1.6 Fire Behavior Worst-Case Scenario

Whites Creek Drainage, Five Acre Tracts Galena Arrowcreek and Saddlehorn:

The worst-case scenario for this 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-southwest of the area, with strong erratic winds, greater than twenty miles per hour and prevailing west to southwest winds could push fires downslope or across slope into the residential area. This area has very poor roads and few or no fire hydrants. Poor defensible space and wood shake roofs increases the potential for structure loss. This area has very rocky soils, making the use of heavy equipment for fuels work very difficult.

Evans Creek - Thomas Creek including Lone Tree Lane and Frost to the end of Plumas Street

The worst-case scenario for this 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-southwest of the area, with strong erratic winds, greater than twenty miles per hour and prevailing west to southwest winds could push fires downslope or across slope into the residential area.

Juniper Trails/Caughlin Ranch/Mayberry Drive to Evans Creek

The worst-case scenario for this 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-southwest of the area, with strong erratic winds, greater than twenty miles per hour and prevailing west to southwest winds could push fires downslope or across slope into the residential area. Poor defensible space and heavy fuels next to structures increase potential for structure loss.

32.1.7 Ignition Risk Assessment

The Reno-Sorthwest community has a high potential for fire ignition due to summer afternoon thunderstorms and high use of the area by the public. The area has a history of multiple ignitions and large fires. Cheatgrass in the Arrow Creek burned area provides a receptive fuel bed for ignitions.

32.2 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 recommendations for the Reno-Southwest area focus primarily on additional efforts that could be taken by community members and public agencies to increase wildland fire safety through reduction of hazardous fuels. Other recommendations pertain to community coordination and public education efforts that could be undertaken to enhance fire safety.

32.2.1 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.
• 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.
• 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 in landscaped areas 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.[20] 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.
• Replace wood shake roofs with fire resistant roofing material.
• Maintain the defensible space as needed.

32.2.2 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.

US Forest Service and Property Owner Recommendation

• Construct and maintain a series of 200-foot wide fuelbreaks and fuel reduction treatments along the northwest boundary of the community from Mountain Gate Drive (south of Mayberry Drive) to Evans Creek Drive. Fuel reduction treatments are recommended in steep drainages and open areas between subdivisions. Within fuelbreaks and fuel reduction treatments, thin Jeffrey pine trees to a basal area of 80 to 100 square feet. (Refer to Appendix E for tree thinning guidelines.) Thin pinyon and juniper to a spacing between canopies equal to twice the height of the trees. Thin shrubs to ensure a spacing between plants equal to twice the height of the shrubs.
• Construct and maintain two fuelbreaks 200 feet wide along the north and west sides of the Saddlehorn Subdivision and the west side of the Thomas Creek Estates Subdivision where the subdivisions abut National Forest lands.

32.2.3 Fire Suppression Resources and Training

Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire Department and Galena VFD

• 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.

32.2.4 Community Coordination

Property Owners

• 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.

City of Reno Recommendation

• 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 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.

32.2.5 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 and Nevada Division of Forestry Recommendation

• Distribute of 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

• 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.

32.3 Summary of Recommendations

Table 32-2. Reno - Southwest 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 a fuelbreaks 200 feet wide and fuel reduction treatments in steep drainages and open areas between subdivisions along the northwest boundary of the community as shown in Figure32-1. Construct and maintain fuelbreaks 200 feet wide on the west sides of the Saddlehorn and Thomas Creek Estates Subdivisions.
Utility Company	Fuels Reduction	Reduce and maintain vegetation in power line corridors. Maintain fifteen feet of clearance around utility poles. Maintain thirty feet of clearance from fence around power substations.
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 aspects, building construction and spacing, road construction and design, 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 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 Galena VFD	Community Coordination	Consider the need for more detailed risk and hazard assessment of 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 Southwest area. Distribute copies of the publication “Living with Fire” to all property owners.

Table 32-3 Reno - Southwest Wildfire Hazard Rating Summary

Figure 32-1 Reno - Southwest Fire History, Suppression Resources, Critical Features, and Proposed Mitigation Projects small | large | x-large