March 23, 2016    
 
 
Greetings!
In this issue of The Pulse we present the National Wildland Fire Cohesive Strategy and Nevada's implementation efforts, a blog article concerning Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month and discuss propane tank safety. We hope you find this information helpful.
Wildfire - Is There a Solution?


University of Nevada Cooperative Extension's natural resource specialist Ed Smith leads a discussion concerning Nevada's response to the National Wildland Fire Cohesive Strategy during an interagency workshop held last September.  Photograph courtesy of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.
 
The specter of increasing mega-wildfires that wreak havoc with human life, human habitation, local economies and valuable natural resources is both realistic and unsettling. Since record keeping began in the 1960's, 8 of the 10 worst fire seasons have occurred since 2000 reaching a record level in 2015 of 10.1 million total acres burned. The increased occurrence of these high intensity wildfires has not only devastated communities and landscapes but has also resulted in the soaring cost of firefighting. As one example, in 2015 one of every two dollars allocated to the U.S. Forest Service was used to control wildfire. This has not only siphoned off critically needed funds to support other resource management needs, but has resulted in a fundamental shift in professional staffing with nearly 50% of U.S. Forest Service employees now connected to fire. Is there anything we can do to change Nevada's future that seems filled with the prospect of undesirable consequences resulting from the increasing occurrence of mega-fires? To find out, read on...
Propane Tank Safety

Photo courtesy of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

Propane tanks are a popular residential fuel choice for rural Nevada. Unfortunately, they can pose a threat to the house during wildfire. According to the Insurance Institute of Building and Home Safety, if flames come too close to the tank, the valve can leak and the tank could possibly explode. Ideally, tanks should be located at least 30 feet from the house, situated in an effective defensible space area and free of flammable materials for at least ten feet. If you have to evacuate, shut off the valve at the propane tank before leaving.
May Means Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month

In this month's blog, Ed Smith talks about this annual effort to increase awareness to the wildfire issue in Nevada.  Read about it here.
What do you think?
We'd like your feedback! What information would you like to know to help reduce the wildfire threat to your community? Reply to this email to share your thoughts.
This newsletter is provided by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, an EEO/AA institution, with funding from a State Fire Assistance grant from the Nevada Division of Forestry and USDA Forest Service. Additional support is provided by the Bureau of Land Management - Nevada State Office.
In This Issue
The Wildfire Problem
   
Photo courtesy of Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District.

Over the past century, wildfire suppression policies, a decline in management activity, changing climate and an increase of residential development in fire prone areas have combined to create the perfect storm of threat and destruction.
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