Carson City, Lake Tahoe residents among national wildfire preparedness contest winners

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.

National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is May 6 with projects slated around Northern Nevada, including Carson City.

Lakeview Community resident D. Marie Bresch from Carson City is among 150 winners nationwide to receive funding from a pool of 420 applicants. Other Northern Nevada winners are Palomino Valley Auxiliary Fire Volunteer Cathy Glatthar, Rivermount Park Resident Sue Markert from Reno, Zephyr Cove Community Leader Ann Grant and Woodminster Community resident Patricia Owens from Incline Village.

Applicants provided a brief description of their proposed projects, and how the State Farm award will fund the projects. Descriptions included how groups or individuals will work toward reducing the risk of wildfire or impact of a recent fire, and/or advance preparedness for wildfire in the community.

The Lakeview community is partnering with the Carson City Fire Department on Saturday to host a community clean-up day 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents in the community who schedule in advance will be provided free curbside pickup of their pine needles, cones, branches and other vegetation. A community appreciation picnic will follow.

Also on Saturday, community Leader Ann Grant is partnering with the Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and volunteers from Douglas County Community Emergency Response Team and Whittell High School to distribute educational information and answer questions about defensible space and other wildfire preparedness concerns. Participants can also sign up for free defensible space evaluations and chipping services. Representatives will be on hand outside of the Zephyr Cove Post Office from 12:30 to 3 p.m.

Woodminster community members will assess the damage and downed trees in their community resulting from the long, rough winter. Grant funding will be used to assist residents with the removal of vegetation that is deemed a wildfire hazard.

The Living With Fire Program, a collaborative effort of local, state and federal firefighting agencies led by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, assisted the Nevada applicants, as part of Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month.

“Living With Fire was glad to assist some of the winners with their applications or events, and we’re excited to see these leaders taking steps to reduce the risk of wildfire in their communities,” said Nevada Cooperative Extension Living With Fire Co-Director Sonya Sistare. “Many of them are involved in our collaborative Nevada Network of Fire Adapted Communities effort that seeks to put Nevadans living in high fire-hazard communities in touch with the resources they need to work toward becoming fire adapted.”

Glatthar’s team will host a presentation about Survivable Space Assessments and what homeowners can do to prepare their homes and property for wildfire. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to noon at the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District’s station at 6015 Ironwood Road in Palomino Valley.

Residents of Rivermount Park are planning a community clean-up of Heatheridge Hill. Residents are partnering with the Nevada Division of Forestry and Rubbish Runners, to remove vegetation identified as hazardous wildfire fuels and dispose of them in dumpsters donated by Rubbish Runners. A potluck meal will follow.

National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is part of activities for Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month, a collaborative effort of local, state and federal firefighting agencies; University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Living With Fire program; and many others.

This year’s message is “Wildfire! Prepare. Anticipate. Evacuate.” to encourage residents of Nevada’s wildfire-prone communities to prepare their homes and families for wildfire, anticipate environmental conditions and take precautions on Red Flag Warning days, and evacuate quickly when asked by emergency responders. For more information on Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month events and for information on how to reduce the wildfire threat, visit www.LivingWithFire.info or contact Sonya Sistare at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, sistares@unce.unr.edu or 775-336-0271.