BLM Fuelbreak Stops Roadside Wildfire from Spreading into Sage Grouse Habitat
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WINNEMUCCA, Nev. – On July 18, The Bureau of Land Management, Winnemucca District responded to a wildland fire on the side of Highway 95, approximately 20 miles north of Orovada, Nevada. The Flat Creek Fire was actually several small fires started by a vehicle tire failure that eventually converged due to the close proximity of the ignitions. The significance of the location was the fire’s proximity to nearby homes as well as General Habitat Management Area and Priority Habitat Management Area for Greater sage-grouse which occurs upslope and in the general direction of the fire’s spread.
Fire crews from the BLM, USFS, Orovada VFD and McDermitt VFD responded with Aircraft, Engines, Dozers and Water Tenders within minutes of the fire report, but it was the Highway 95 fuelbreak that halted the fire’s forward spread and allowed suppression crews to quickly extinguish the fire. If the fuelbreak was not in place, there would have been no barriers to limit fire spread.
“The Flat Creek fire burned 26 acres in total, but could have easily burned many more acres given the abundant fine fuels present, low humidity and winds occurring that day; conditions ideal for fire spread,” said Donovan Walker, the Fire Management Officer for the Winnemucca District. “This could have resulted in the fire consuming Greater sage-grouse habitat, as well as many other natural resources, grazing allotments and private property.”
The Highway 95 fuelbreak was put into place by the Winnemucca District in 2003, along with three other breaks along Highway 290, 140, and 447. These fuelbreaks have been expanded over time, and have all proven to be effective in stopping the spread of fires. The fuelbreaks require annual maintenance, which on Highway 95 had been completed earlier in the summer.
“The areas adjacent to highways have some of the highest human-caused fire occurrences within the Winnemucca District,” added Walker. “The system of highway fuelbreaks the fire program has put in place continues to be a tremendous asset in limiting fire spread along the roads within the Winnemucca District.”
As of July 19, the Winnemucca District BLM has responded to 53 fires since January 1st.
For more information, please call Derek Messmer, Hazardous Fuels Management Specialist, at 775-623-1583.
Photo captions:
NV-Fire-Crew-Mopup.png - Crews monitoring and mopping up fire between fuelbreak and Highway 95.
NV-Fuelbreak-Vegetation.png - Photo shows vegetation on either side of the fuelbreak.
NV-Fuelbreak-Success-Flat-Creek-Fire.png - Burned vegetation on the left side of the fuelbreak next to Highway 95 and healthy sagebrush vegetation on the right side of the fuelbreak.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.