On August 17, 2018 a bird on a powerline started a fire in southwest Washoe Valley. In the end, the Berry fire burned 8 acres and destroyed a barn. A big thank you goes out to all the firefighters that brought the fire under control.
One of the homes, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Loyd, had flames within 20 feet of their front door. Mr. Loyd does work every year to reduce the fuels around their home. The home has a composite roof, a concrete border, and a deck that is made from synthetic materials. He stacks his firewood away from the home and cleans up any debris that an ember could ignite.
The West Washoe Wildfire Protection Group, working with Nevada Division of Forestry, applied for, and was awarded a Hazardous Fuels Grant through the US Forest Service. It was with this grant that NDF was able to send crews and equipment to Mr. Lloyd’s home and improve upon the great work Mr. Loyd had started.Mr. Loyd is convinced that the combination of his & NDF's fuel reduction efforts not only helped to save his home, but gave firefighters the room and safe access to engage the fire.
As a program within the Nevada Division of Forestry, the Nevada Network works closely with NDF staff to collaborate on fuel reduction programs, wildfire protection planning, and community outreach. For more examples of successful wildfire mitigation projects please consider visiting the national Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network
here. The Nevada Network works with the FAC Learning Network to share success stories, develop collaborative partnerships, and learn about the successes of similar state-wide FAC programs.