Be Part of a Fire Adapted Community
Grant Nejedlo
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
In many parts of Nevada, we’re surrounded by mountains, which offerincredible views, boundless opportunities for recreation and the feeling we’re living with nature. However, ask a firefighter what they see and you just might learn wildland fires area major threat to Nevada. In fact, there’s a lengthy history of fire on the ground all around us – both on those mountains and in the towns and cities.So as we build homes farther into the wildlands, on steep hillsides, along canyons and ravines, and near highly desirable open spaces, we must accept the reality – we will be living with fire.
What a slew of frightening images one can conjure up at the simple mention of the word wildfire. However, would it be a relief to know there are steps every homeowner can take to increase the likelihood their home would survive a wildfire even with little or no assistance from firefighters? Imagine you’ve taken these steps and have the information needed to safely evacuate your family should flames and burning embers threaten your neighborhood. Then imagine your neighbors do the same. You are now part of a fire adapted community (FAC).
The biggest hindrance to creating FACs is often the homeowner. Having a grocery store down the street or a fire station up the road doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not living in a high or extreme fire hazard area.While land managers can reduce the amount of flammable vegetation on lands surrounding communities, homeowners must recognize that they bear significant responsibility for ensuring their home’s survivability during a wildfire and must take strategic actionbefore the fire starts.
This attitude of personal responsibility is one paramount to creatingFACs. Residents of these communitiesunderstand their buildings and landscaping must be designed, constructed and managed using materials that are fire resistant. They alsoknowthat the fire suppression capabilities and response times of our local firefighterscannot match our lofty expectations. Finally, residents understand that how they choose to manage their propertydirectly affects the overall safety of the community and the firefighters charged with its protection.
Using grant funding from the Nevada Division of Forestry and USDA Forest Service, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s (UNCE) Living With Fire Program has created new materials outlining the steps an entire community can take to make itself fire adapted. This will reduce its vulnerability to wildfire and improve resident safety in the process.After all, assuming wildfire will never affect you or that when it does, a fire truck will be assigned to defend your home is not much of a plan at all. For more information, please contact Grant Nejedlo at (775) 784-4848 or .