wildfire

May is Wildfire Awareness Month.

After an extremely wet winter, you might think that there will be less risk of wildfire this year. Sadly, that is unlikely to be the case.

With one of the biggest winters we have experienced in years and the snowpack level at 200-300 percent of normal, it is expected that the excessive precipitation will likely push the start of the 2017 fire season back a couple months.

And the pendulum of crazy weather returns to something spring-like. Granted, the lawns and gardens in Carson City are loving this wet stuff, I just want the sunshine to stay put. The brewery at the corner of Proctor and N. Carson Street will soon be opening as ‘The Union’ and is seeking staff for what promises to be an exciting downtown venture for chef, Mark Estee. A job fair today and Tuesday will have hiring managers on hand to fill the front and back of the house. Wildfire Awareness Month is honored at the State Legislature today.

As part of a Carson Ranger District Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project, sheep will be released on U.S. Forest Service lands to reduce hazardous fuels by removing cheetgrass and other non-native vegetation.

A Lakeview community project headed up by a Carson City woman is among five in Northern Nevada to receive funding awards from State Farm in support of activities aimed at reducing potential loss of life, property and natural resources to wildfire in their communities.

Roadside stations for inspections and decontaminations of motorized boats and watercraft are officially opening for the 2017 boating season.

Locations, hours of operation and opening dates are as follows:

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is once again coordinating the collaborative efforts of federal, state and local fire services, public safety agencies, community organizations and others to participate in Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month throughout May.

As we celebrate Earth Day this April, let’s remember how important environmental stewardship is to the health of Lake Tahoe, and how important our individual actions are.

The hills are alive with sheep. About 700 sheep and 1,000 lambs are once again grazing 2,000 acres around the west side of Carson City, eating up cheatgrass and other weeds to clear out potential wildfire fuel.

Nevada's chief legal adviser wants a judge to dismiss all but a narrow piece of a series of lawsuits accusing state forestry officials of mishandling a prescribed burn that turned into a raging wildfire and destroyed 23 homes along the edge of the Sierra.

With river levels expected to rise in the weeks and months ahead, the Lyon County Board of Commissioners approved a declaration of emergency on Thursday for all of Lyon County in preparation for potential flooding from spring and summer snow melt run off.

Decreased staffing and close proximity of hot materials to the fire line during last October's prescribed burn in the Little Valley northwest of Carson City contributed to an uncontrolled wildfire on Oct. 14, 2016 that consumed more than 2,000 acres, a final report released Wednesday from the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (NDCNR) said.

The Silver State Vertical Drop is an annual ski competition and community fundraising event put on by the Silver State Hotshots, a Carson City-based wildfire suppression crew. Justin Cutler, the current captain of the Silver State Hotshots, began the event in 2008 and it has taken place each year, this year being the 9th consecutive.

Registration is open for the Northern Nevada Wildfire Awareness Multi-hour Trail Event hosted by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Living With Fire Program in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and Desert Sky Adventures. All proceeds from the race will be donated to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.

Here is the 2017 State of the State presented by Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval.

As I contemplate the topic of this week’s Animal Files Column, I struggle. The reason is because the story that I am going to share is based off secondhand information. I don’t know whether it’s true or false. The ethical part of me doesn’t want to put misinformation out there. The other part of me knows that this story is spreading like wildfire on social media and that people are already forming their own opinions.

Four years ago this month, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency approved the 2012 Regional Plan. The landmark plan charts a course to restore Lake Tahoe’s environment and revitalize our communities and it was forged through Herculean work by California, Nevada, local governments, the public, and dozens of other partners.

The U.S. Forest Service announced that it will begin pile burning today, Monday, in the Little Valley Fuels Reduction project area north of Carson City near Washoe City as part of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s hazardous fuels reduction efforts.

Late Friday night, the U.S. House of Representatives joined the U.S. Senate in passing the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act of 2016, which will bring $415 million in future funding to Lake Tahoe over the next seven years. The decision brought cheers from many local agencies, including the League to Save lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

UPDATE TUESDAY: The Forest Service has called off plans to do pile burning Tuesday in the Little Valley Fuels Reduction Project Area. Go here for the updated story.
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As part of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s hazardous fuels reduction efforts, Carson Ranger District fire crews will conduct pile burning Tuesday in the Little Valley Fuels Reduction Project area near Washoe City, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The House and Senate have agreed to include the bipartisan Lake Tahoe Restoration Act in the final bicameral Water Resources Development Act, titled the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, Nevada Sen. Dean Heller announced Monday.

Holiday decorating is a tradition in homes all over the world, but do you know how to safely decorate your home? The following are tips from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to help keep your home safe from fire this holiday season:

Because of fires currently burning in the southeastern part of the U.S., a report has been delayed into October's Little Valley Fire in Washoe Valley that destroyed 23 homes, 17 outbuildings, burned more than 2,200 acres and was caused by a prescribed fire.

In a year when huge-scale fires devastated areas of the American West, the AlertTahoe mountaintop fire camera system has been helpful in adding another level of protection in keeping Tahoe residents, forests and the clarity of the lake safe from catastrophic fires.

Weather and conditions permitting, the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service may continue prescribed fire operations next week in areas on the South and East shores of Lake Tahoe. If conditions are favorable, operations may begin on Sunday, Nov. 6 and may continue through the week.

In the aftermath of the Little Valley Fire that destroyed 23 homes and 17 outbuildings, Insurance Commissioner Barbara Richardson urges affected homeowners to be vigilant of fraudsters trying to take advantage during this devastating time. Any consumers affected are encouraged to contact the Division of Insurance if they have questions about insurance or need assistance with their insurance claims.

With the Little Valley Fire and other fires burning, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension encourages homeowners to consult the Evacuation Guide provided by its Living With Fire Program, a partnership with several local, state and federal agencies.

Amidst a string of brush fires that started up in the region over the past 24 hours and spread rapidly with the help of high winds, storm clouds did bring with them some moisture, which has provided some assistance to firefighters and left affected communities with an enduring sign of hope.

UPDATE 6PM: CalFire reports firefighters have made significant progress on the Emerald Fire. Rain has held the fire progression. No reported injuries or structure damage. The fire is 80 percent contained. Evacuations have been lifted.
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UPDATE 10:15AM: Emerald fire burning near South Lake Tahoe is approximately 250 acres in size burning in timber on National Forest System and California State lands at Emerald Bay and Cascade Lake. It's being fueled by strong winds that are ahead of the incoming storm system that have been fanning the fire in different directions resulting in dangerous rates of spread. Rain has been falling in the area, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
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UPDATE 9:40AM: The Emerald fire has burned 200 acres so far and containment time is unknown. Wind gusts in the fire area are up to 70 mph. Rain is heavy at times which is helping to put the fire out. No flames are visible from Baldwin Beach. Highway 89 is closed from Camp Richardson to the Vikingsholm parking lot. Evacuations are still in place.
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A mandatory evacuation order has been issued Friday morning for about 500 homes near South Lake Tahoe because of a 200-acre wildfire burning near Cascade Lake, a fire that started at about 1:30 a.m.

The fire, dubbed the Emerald Fire has caused mandatory evacuations at Spring Creek, Cathedral, the west shore of Fallen Leaf Lake, Cascade Properties and Cascade Lake.

UPDATE 12:21PM: NV Energy reports around 60 customers are without power this afternoon in the areas between East William and Corbett streets. In all there are 137 customers around Carson City without power, 1,198 in Douglas County, 1,827 in Washoe County and 1,121 customers in Lyon County.
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UPDATE 9:35AM: NV Energy reports 38 customers in Carson City are without power. High winds are causing multiple extended outages throughout northern Nevada. Crews are out working to restore power to customers as quickly and safely as possible. NV Energy advises to consider any downed power lines as live and dangerous and stay a safe distance from them. Call 9-1-1 to report them.
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Thousands are without power Friday morning from north Carson City through Washoe Valley into the Galena area due to wind and wildfire, according to NV Energy.