35.1 Risk and Hazard Assessment

Wadsworth is located approximately 25 miles east of Sparks. The community is situated at the junction of State Route 427 and State Route 447. The community is situated along the Truckee River as it enters the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. The community boundary is shown in Figure 35-1. The community hazard assessment resulted in classifying Wadsworth in the Low Hazard Category (37 points). A summary of factors that contributed to the hazard rating is included in Table 35-3. Primary factors that determined the hazard rating in Wadsworth include the low hazard fuel loads and limited fire suppression resources.

35.1.1 Community Design

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

• Access: State Routes 447 and 427 are 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. 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: Approximately 75 percent of the street signs in the community are easily visible. Approximately 85 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 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.

35.1.2 Construction Materials

Approximately 82 percent of the homes in the interface area are built with non-combustible or ignition resistant siding such as medium density fiberboard, stucco, or brick. All of the residences have roofs of non-combustible material such as tile, metal, or composition. Approximately fourteen 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.

35.1.3 Defensible Space

Approximately 84 percent of the homes surveyed in Wadsworth have landscaping that meets defensible space guidelines to protect the home from damage or loss during a wildfire.

35.1.4 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

Wadsworth Volunteer Fire Department provides fire suppression services for the Wadsworth community. The Wadsworth VFD is part of the Reno/Truckee Meadows Fire District. The Wadsworth VFD reported having two volunteers at the time that interviews were conducted for this report. Truckee Meadows Auxiliary Volunteer firefighters help staff the VFD on weekends. The closest resources for response to a reported wildland fire near Wadsworth are summarized in Table 35-1. Reno Fire Department responds with additional resources from the closest available career staffed station according to their standard wildland fire dispatch. Other local, state, and federal resources are available upon request through mutual agreements as described in Section 4.1.1.

Table 35-1. Wadsworth Initial Attack Wildfire Suppression Resources

Type of Resource	Amount of Equipment	Cooperating Partner (Resource Location)
Engine Type 1 Engine Type 3 Water Tender	1 1 1	Wadsworth Volunteer Fire Department (Truckee Meadows Station 25)
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

Wadsworth has fire hydrants with minimum flow ratings of 1,000 gallons per minute within 1,000 feet of structures in most areas of the community. The estimated round trip time from areas without hydrants to additional water supplies for refilling fire apparatus is approximately twenty minutes. Wadsworth has a total water storage tank capacity of 470,000 gallons in two tanks that are filled with electric pumps. There is no emergency backup generator. Fire hydrants are gravity operated. The Truckee River can also be used for drafting.

Fire Protection Personnel Qualifications

Volunteer firefighters are required to have at least forty hours of basic wildland training and they are required to attend eight hours of annual wildland refresher training. Approximately half of the total volunteer firefighters are certified to respond to wildland fires.

Financial Support

The Wadsworth Volunteer Fire Department is funded through the Truckee Meadows General Fund.

Community Preparedness

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

35.1.5 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior

The interface area around Wadsworth along the Truckee River is flat. The prevailing wind direction is from the south and southwest. High winds speeds are common during summer afternoons. On the southwest side of the community, the vegetation primarily consists of horsebrush, spiny hopsage, greasewood, Indian ricegrass, and Russian thistle. The fuel load was estimated at less than one ton per acre and considered a low fuel hazard. On the east side of the river, the vegetation consists of fourwing saltbush, greasewood, rabbitbrush, and quailbush, with saltgrass and bottlebrush squirreltail ground fuels. The fuel load in these areas was estimated at two to three tons per acre and was considered a moderate fuel hazard. Tall whitetop, a state-listed noxious weed, is also dominant along ditches and agricultural field edges. The fuel load in pure stands of tall whitetop was estimated at four tons per acre.

35.1.6 Fire Behavior Worst-Case Scenario

The worst-case wildfire scenario for this community would be a fire starting on the east side of the Truckee River on a high hazard day with strong winds, greater than twenty miles per hour, blowing from the south. A fire would quickly be wind-driven north through dense brush and threaten mobile homes and structures in the area. With the limited number of local volunteers, this fire could quickly escape initial attack before additional resources could arrive.

35.1.7 Ignition Risk Assessment

Wadsworth has a moderate ignition risk. There is a history of wildland fires in the area and a tendency for summer lightning activity.

35.2 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 reduction recommendations for Wadsworth focus on maintaining defensible space and fuel reduction within the community.

35.2.1 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.
• 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.
• Remove or board up abandoned trailers and structures to prevent sparks from entering and igniting the structure.
• Remove debris and flammable materials from within the defensible space area.
• Treat areas to control the spread of whitetop and knapweed. Refer to Appendix E for more information about treating this noxious weed.
• Maintain the defensible space as needed.

Wadsworth Volunteer Fire Department Recommendation

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

35.2.2 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.

Wadsworth Volunteer Fire Department Recommendation

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

35.2.3 Fire Suppression Resources and Training

Wadsworth Volunteer Fire Department Recommendation

• Meet annually with the Nevada Division of Forestry and 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.

35.2.4 Community Coordination

Property Owner Recommendation

• Ensure that residential addresses 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 caused by 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.
• 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.
• Improve street sign visibility.

35.2.5 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.

Wadsworth Volunteer 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.

35.3 Summary of Recommendations

Table 35-2. Wadsworth 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.
	Community Coordination	Ensure residential addresses are visible from the road.
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. 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. Improve street sign visibility.
Wadsworth Volunteer Fire Department	Defensible Space Treatments	Conduct courtesy inspections of home defensible space and assist with implementation of defensible space treatments.
	Fuels Reduction	Develop regular brush clearance, biomass disposal, and open burn permitting programs.
	Resources and Training	Meet annually with neighboring fire agencies 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 35-3 Wadsworth Wildfire Hazard Rating Summary

Figure 35-1 Wadsworth Fire History and Suppression Resources small | large | x-large