Volume 58 | June/July 2019
Welcome to the June/July 2019 Network Pulse Newsletter. This month's Network Pulse highlights the great work being accomplished in our community chapters and provides an overview of the Network's participation in the 2019 interagency fire prevention team
Holbrook Highlands Chapter Provides Wildfire Preparedness Seminar to Residents

Chief Tod Carlini Provides information about evacuation preparedness
The Holbrook Highlands Chapter held their 1  st  annual fire adapted community event on June 1st at the Topaz Ranch Estates East Fork Fire Station. Janice Roberts, co-leader of the Holbrook Highlands chapter, organized the event and invited residents from Topaz Ranch Estates and Topaz Lake to attend.

34 residents, including some California residents from Markeleeville, attended to listen to presentations by Chief Tod Carlini, East Fork Fire Protection District, Jamie Roice-Gomes, Manager of Living With Fire Program, the Douglas County CERT team, and Michael Beaudoin, Coordinator of the Nevada Network of Fire Adapted Communities. 

Chief Carlini’s presentation focused on how to prepare for an evacuation and how East Fork Fire personnel manage fire evacuations. Residents should make sure they make a list of their important 5 Ps; People, Pets, Pills, Photos, and Papers, and keep them handy in case of an evacuation. Residents should also prepare a 72-hour kit that includes water and food essentials in case of an evacuation.




Video of Ember Shower shared by Jamie at the Holbrook Highlands Seminar
Jamie Roice-Gomes spoke about structure ignition during a wildfire and the importance of being ember-aware. Jamie shared a videos that showed how quickly embers can spark fires in Junipers. 
 Fire brands or embers cause 90% of home ignitions during a wildfire. As you prepare for this year’s wildfires be sure to remove potential fuel beds for embers by; clearing your gutters of flammable debris, moving firewood away from your home, or installing a 5 foot non-combustible zone around your house.
Coordinator Beaudoin spoke about how the Network operates and defensible space considerations. He spoke about the need to remove combustible materials away from decks and to not store flammable materials underneath decks. He also shared information on fire-rated roofing materials and the need to consistently remove flammable material from roofs and gutters. A copy of his presentation can be found here .  

Alpine View Estates Hosts Community Wildfire Evacuation Drill
Douglas County Search and Rescue Staging for the Alpine View Estates Evacuation Drill
The Network’s Alpine View Estates community chapter worked with Douglas County’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Douglas County Search and Rescue, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and East Fork Fire Protection District to provide a community-wide evacuation drill on June 29 th , 2019. The evacuation drill was spearheaded by Lee Elson, Alpine View Estates Chapter Leader, and a community planning committee.

An evacuation drill was seen as a way to introduce residents to the procedures necessary in the event of a wildfire evacuation. No such drill or event has happened in at least 13 years and there are many new residents in the area. There have been several situations where an evacuation was imminent and many in the neighborhood felt that guidance and practice would be useful.

Douglas County Search and Rescue Debriefing Meeting
Volunteers contacted community members during the drill via door-to-door contact and pre-established phone trees. Douglas County CERT set up an evacuation center at Sunridge Fire Station with 14 volunteers. CERT brought their evacuation trailer as well as the animal trailer for pets. They eventually processed 36 evacuees including some with pets. It is estimated that about 25% of the Alpine View residents participated in the drill.

The evacuation drill was a great dry-run for Alpine Views Estates should a real emergency such as a wildfire or earthquake occurs. Volunteers and drill participants provided informal feedback that was positive with very few shortcomings noted. For more information about the Alpine Views Estates community evacuation drill please find Mr. Elson’s report here .


For more information on preparing for an evacuation in your community please visit the Living With Fire website at: https://www.livingwithfire.info/learning-center  or FEMA’s website at: https://www.ready.gov/evacuating-yourself-and-your-family


Nevada Network Participates in the 2019 Nevada Interagency Fire Prevention Team
The Network Coordinator and NDF staff joined the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service- Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest on the 2019 Interagency Fire Prevention team. 

The team addressed the potential for large and destructive wildfires by strengthening public awareness about safe target shooting practices, preventative actions concerning roadside starts and off-roading activities, debris burning precautions, responsible actions while recreating on public lands, defensible space and organizing your community for a wildfire by joining the Nevada Network of Fire Adapted Communities (NNFAC).
The team was able to provide outreach and education to more communities this year with the help of NDF fire staff. The Network Coordinator and NDF fire staff provided outreach to Lyon County and the Tahoe Basin. These areas were not addressed by prior interagency teams. A report of the team’s accomplishments can be found here .  

Fire Safety and Prevention for your Recreational Vehicle (RV)
Fire safety is an important part of your summer adventures with your RV. Simple mishaps can result in your RV starting a catastrophic wildfire. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) estimates that 20,000 RV fires occur annually. Fire is one of the leading causes of RV loss in the U.S. today.

RV fires can start when your RV is moving or even when you’ve been in camp several days. Here are a few simple tips from the NFPA to help prevent an RV fire or RV-caused wildfire:

Before you go:

  •      Make a pre-trip checklist and inspect your RV every time you hit the road.

  • Have three fire extinguishers for your RV--one in the kitchen, one in the bedroom, and one outside in an unlocked compartment or in your tow vehicle. Make sure every traveler knows where they are located and how to use them.

  • Test your smoke detector.

  • Have at least two escape routes and an escape plan. Practice it with your travelers.

  • Make sure all travelers can open the front door, hatches, and emergency exits.

  • Ensure that your RV's carbon monoxide and propane detectors are properly located and functioning.

  • Spontaneous combustion can occur in damp charcoal. Before you travel, buy fresh charcoal, keep it dry, and store it in a covered metal container.

  • Ensure that the power cord for connecting your RV to a campground's electricity supply is in good condition and of suitable gauge wire to handle the electrical load. Replace damaged cords immediately
RV Maintenance:

  • Have your RV's brakes checked. A dragging brake can create enough friction to ignite a tire or brake fluid.

  • Bouncing down the road can loosen electrical connections, which can produce heat, and in turn, fire. Tighten them before your trip.

  • Check all 12-volt connections before every trip. Many RV fires are caused by a 12-volt short.

  • Leaking fluids in the engine compartment can ignite. During your pre-trip inspection, check all hoses for firmness, clamp tightness, and signs of leaking. Have repairs made before you travel.

  • Mechanical or electrical failures cause roughly three-quarters of the highway vehicle fires. Proper maintenance will help reduce your chances of having malfunctions on the road


RV Safety while Driving:

  • At each rest stop, give your tires at least an eyeball check. Remember, a pressure gauge reading on hot tires is NOT accurate.

  • Shut off the propane at the tank and turn off all propane-powered appliances while driving. If you have an accident or tire blowout while the propane is on, your injury and the damage to your vehicle can be significantly worse. If you elect to travel with the refrigerator operating on propane, you must turn it--and all appliances--off prior to entering a fuel stop. (FYI - Most refrigerators will keep food cold or frozen for eight hours without running while you travel.)

  • Be cautious of where you pull over and park. A hot exhaust pipe or catalytic converter can easily ignite dry grass underneath your RV.
Fire Safety while at the campsite or parked:

  • Never leave cooking unattended.

  • Never leave appliances that are plugged in and on unattended.

  • Turn off overhead exhaust fans when you leave the RV.

  • Don't leave 12-volt lights on. Keep clothing and other burnable things away from them (like in storage spaces). They get very hot.

  • If the flame on your galley stove goes out while in use, unless you have run out of fuel, the gas will continue to flow and could result in an explosion. Turn off the stove and air out the RV before trying to relight.

  • Keep all combustibles--from paper towels to curtains--far enough away from your stove that they cannot catch fire.

  • Gasoline and propane can pose an immediate, explosive danger. Deal at once with any leaks or spills, and use all fuels in adequately vented areas. Operate your generator in an area where gasoline fumes cannot reach an ignition source.

  • Keep your campsite fire sources, such as fire rings, tiki torches, and lanterns, away from all vehicles.

  • RVs often have a very limited number of electrical outlets, and sometimes RVers use powerstrips to plug in more things. Don't overload the electrical outlets! Circuit breakers don't always prevent overloads from starting fires!

  • It's best never to use an extension cord in an RV. If you must, make sure you use a HEAVY DUTY extension cord, and make sure the load you put on it is well within its safe load capacity. DON'T run any electrical cord under a carpet or floor mats
If there is a fire:
  • The first step is to get everybody out of the RV and safely away from the fire.

  • If it is a small fire and you can extinguish it without putting yourself in danger, put it out with a fire extinguisher.

  • If it is too big of a fire or coming from an unknown source, do not risk your safety… Get out.

  • Never re-enter a burning RV to retrieve anything--GET OUT & STAY OUT!

  • Get help. ALL adults and older children should know how to dial 911. Remember that cell service may be limited where you are, so make a plan ahead of time.

  • It's crucial to know your exact location so firefighters can find you.

Article adapted from NFPA’s FireWise Communities USA informational fact sheets and the National Park Service safety tips from Kathy Komatz, NPS National Structural Fire Training Specialist. For more resources from NPS please visit https://www.nps.gov/articles/p52-rv-fire-safety-101.htm  

For more information on RV safety from the NFPA please visit this link .

Network Coordinator Transitions to New Position
Network Coordinator, Michael Beaudoin, will be transitioning out of his role with the Network On July 11 th , 2019. Mr. Beaudoin has accepted a position with the Idaho Department of Lands in Coeur d’Alene. With the help of NDF, the Network Advisory Board, and community leaders the Network expanded throughout the Sierra Front and established outreach to Nevada’s key southern and eastern communities.

NDF will be advertising the Network Coordinator’s position internally over the next few weeks and if no internal candidate is identified they will advertise the position on the NV Apps page at:


Nevada Division of Forestry| The Nevada Network of Fire Adapted Communities | [email protected]