Nevada Division of Forestry

In wildfire-prone areas, safeguarding your home is a practical precaution. Simple measures, like creating defensible space and retrofitting your home with fire resistant upgrades, can significantly reduce risks.

The Nevada Division of Forestry is accepting preliminary proposals for Landscape Restoration Grants for habitat restoration projects now through March 1, 2023, at 5pm. These grants will support projects that improve and/or rehabilitate rural forests and rangelands, water resources, riparian areas, and wildlife habitat.

It was an eventful year around the Carson City region notwithstanding the limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's some notable stories that were not pandemic related that happened in 2020.

CARSON CITY — Given the devastating 2020 wildfire season across the west, and following two late-season wildfires that recently swept across the Sierra Front, the Nevada Division of Forestry announced Wednesday that it will convene a free virtual summit to help Nevadans prepare and protect their homes, families, and communities from wildland fires.

Wildland fire officials have lifted fire restrictions across much of Nevada’s public lands. The Bureau of Land Management, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Nevada Division of Forestry have rescinded the current 2020 Nevada-wide fire restrictions as of Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020.

The Bureau of Land Management, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Nevada Division of Forestry will jointly reduce the current 2020 Nevada-wide fire restrictions, effective for all three agencies by Friday, Oct. 16, until further notice. The reduced fire restrictions will allow campfires in designated campground areas within Nevada.

The next Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting will take place Thursday, October 15, in the Bob Boldrick Theatre of the Community Center located at 851 E. William Street.

But this fire season, the Nevada Division of Forestry and NV Energy are using a different kind of fire prevention technology — a herd of more than 300 goats.

NV Energy and Nevada Division of Forestry have partnered to reduce the risk of wildfire in Carson City in the Clear Creek watershed through targeted goat grazing. More than 300 goats from High Desert Graziers in Smith Valley, NV, will be grazing on over 100 acres of private property off of Highway 50 through September and October of 2020 in an extreme wildfire risk area.

The next Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 17 beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Sierra Room of the Community Center, located at 851 E. William Street.

Items for discussion include new shade structures in the downtown area, grant funding for fuel reduction, surplus city funding, and more.

This fall, bring home the beauty of Nevada’s natural landscape! Operated by the Nevada Division of Forestry, the State Tree Nursery in Washoe Valley has a great selection of Nevada-friendly plants available for purchase. All plants are grown and maintained at the nursery and are conditioned to survive Northern Nevada’s cold winters and hot, dry summers.

The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) reminds residents and visitors that recreational fires, including campfires, bonfires, warming fires, wood fires, charcoal fires, or any other kind of outdoor fires, involving solid fuels are not permitted on public or private property including residential properties, vacation/short-term rentals, campgrounds, resorts and other recreational areas throughout the Lake Tahoe/Truckee Region until the end of November or until rescinded.

UPDATE 4:24PM: Both fires have been knocked down, according to Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center.
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UPDATE 2:42PM: The fire on Como Mountain is around 1/10th of an acre in size with a slow rate of spread, according to Central Lyon County Fire. Firefighting efforts have been turned over to the Nevada Division of Forestry and the Bureau of Land Management.
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Central Lyon Fire crews responded Sunday afternoon to brush fires in the Dayton area and one possible in Stagecoach. One fire near the "D" hill behind Dayton High School was reportedly knocked down just after 2 p.m. and firefighters are continuing to work on a fire located on Como Mountain.

In response to the current severe risk of wildfire, the Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Division of Forestry and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest elevated the current fire restrictions on August 7. The heightened restrictions prohibit all open flame campfires on state and federal lands, including within developed campgrounds, day use areas and dispersed camp areas.

UPDATE: Fire investigators say a semi-tractor trailer truck with a faulty exhaust system is the likely cause of the #NumbersFire south of Gardnerville.

Sierra Front Team 1 and assigned units made good progress Saturday on the Monarch Fire burning in the Pine Nut Mountains east of Gardnerville, Nev. The Monarch Fire was reported at 12:41 p.m. on June 24, 2020, and is burning three miles south of Sierra Spirit Ranch in Douglas County.

As of Friday morning, the Monarch Fire in Douglas County near Fish Springs and Pine Nut Road is covering a total of 2,500 acres.

UPDATE 3:39PM: The Monarch Fire is approximately 2,500 acres and currently 5 percent contained. No structures are immediately threatened at this time and the fire is believed to be lightning caused from the previous day. Responding agencies include East Fork, Central Lyon, North Lake Tahoe, North Lyon, Story County, Tahoe Douglas and Truckee Meadows Fire Protection Districts, Reno Fire Department, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service.
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As of 9:45 a.m. Thursday morning, the fire in the Pine Nuts in Douglas County, which has been named the Monarch Fire, now covers a total of 1,794 acres.

Multiple agencies are on scene to try and control the fire which is thought to have been caused by a lightning strike during yesterday’s thunderstorm.

UPDATE 5:18 p.m.: the acreage of the fire has been updated to 1,600 acres.

UPDATE 4:12 p.m.: the acreage of the fire has been updated to 800 acres.

UPDATE 3:21 p.m.: Douglas County releases the following press release:

Minden, NV- Several agencies including Bureau of Land Management, Douglas County Sheriff's Office, East Fork Fire, the US Forrest Service and the Nevada Division of Forestry are currently responding to the Monarch Fire, a Brush fire in the Fish Springs Pinenut Creek Rd area.

No structures are threatened at this time.

No active road closures at this time.

Douglas County is asking the public to please stay aware of your surroundings. The fire is moving possibly East of community. Stay aware and alert in the event of wind changes. The fire is currently estimated to be around 800 acres. (subject to change)

Please Call 911 if you need help. We have sent out a cell phone message to those in the area but you may also receive the alert in other areas in the valley.

As a reminder, please make sure your cell phone is signed up for our reverse 911 emergency alert notification system. You can register your cell phone here.

We will continue to update you as the information becomes available on this page: https://www.douglascountynv.gov/cms/One.aspx

UPDATE 3:10 p.m: a second fire was reported near Topaz Lake.

UPDATE 2:31 p.m.: the acreage of the fire has been updated to 250 acres.

UPDATE 2:19 p.m. the acreage of the fire has been updated to 80 acres.

UPDATE 1:56 p.m.
A press release was issued regarding the fire which states the following:

East Fork fire is currently responding to a Brush fire named the #MonarchFire in the Fish Springs Pinenut Creek Rd area, and is asking the public to please stay aware of your surroundings. The fire is moving possibly East of community. Stay aware and alert in the event of wind changes. Call 911 if you need help. Fish Springs, South and East of the community and covering the Sierra Spirit Ranch. We have sent out a cell phone message to those in the area but you may also receive the alert in other areas in the valley. We will continue to update you as the information becomes available.

East Fork Fire Protection District responded Wednesday afternoon to a brush fire off of Pine Nut Road in Douglas County.

Beginning Friday, June 26, the Carson City Fire Department will implement fire restrictions on City and privately-owned lands within Carson City. Vegetation in western Nevada has dried out significantly. A large crop of dry grass and brush is evident at lower elevations, and trees and other forest vegetation at higher elevations are quickly drying out.

Nevada’s public land management agencies remain committed to protecting all residents and visitors through fostering wildfire-resilient landscapes and communities. As the weather warms up and Nevadans spend more time outdoors, land managers are encouraging residents to recreate safely and responsibly to help prevent wildfires, protect lives and property, and preserve our precious natural wonders that we all love.

It's officially Arbor Day and the day to hug a tree! Or, better, plant one!

That's what some of the members of the Chamber's Leadership Class did early Friday morning as phase one of their class project.

The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is implementing fire restrictions earlier than usual this year to reduce the number of human-caused fires and reduce firefighter exposure to COVID-19 during the current pandemic.

On March 27, 2020, at approximately 5:54 AM, a Nevada Highway Patrol Sergeant had stopped to assist a motorist on US-93 and White Pine county mile marker 106, north of Ely, NV. During this contact, the motorist open fired on Sgt. Ben Jenkins, who was struck and killed.

UPDATE 12:30 p.m.:

On March 27, 2020, at approximately 5:54 AM, a Nevada Highway Patrol Sergeant had stopped to assist a motorist on US-93 and White Pine county mile marker 106, north of Ely, NV. During this contact, the motorist open fired on Sgt. Ben Jenkins, who was struck and killed. The motorist stole the Sergeant’s uniform and fled the scene in Sgt. Jenkins’ patrol vehicle. Following a search that lasted several hours, the suspect, John Dabritz, a 65-year-old White Pine resident, was located and taken into custody with the assistance of multiple agencies.

Nevada is home to more than 150 plant species that live exclusively in our state, including the Tiehm buckwheat, a rare desert wildflower that is only known to exist in particular geologic conditions in the Silver Peak Range of Esmeralda County.

The first Board of Supervisors meeting of February will take place on Feb. 6 beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Sierra Room of the Community Center located at 851 E. William Street.

On the docket for discussion is board appointments for wildlife management, a grant application for wildfire fuel reduction, vehicle donations, and more.

The Nevada Division of Forestry is currently seeking pre-proposals for two competitive grant programs: Landscape Scale Restoration and State Fire Assistance.

CARSON CITY — Commencing this month, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will be undertaking a comprehensive review to determine if enhanced protection under state law is needed for the rare Tiehm buckwheat, a native plant species that lives exclusively within the Silver Peak Range in Esmeralda County, Nevada.

CARSON CITY — The 25-acre Evans Creek Fire started Thursday around 2 a.m. and is located southwest of Reno on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s Carson Ranger District in Evans Canyon area approximately two miles from the Ballardini Ranch Trailhead. The fire was human-caused and under investigation by law enforcement.