Nevada One Less Spark One Less Wildfire Campaign Goes on the Road
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RENO, Nev. — The interagency Nevada wildfire awareness team is bringing the One Less Spark One Less Wildfire message to the communities of northern Nevada. The team will travel to several locations along the I-80 corridor over the next ten days to facilitate awareness and education in fire prevention.
Nevada is on track for a record setting fire season. The average number of acres burned is approximately 500,000 and Nevada has already burned over 850,000 this summer with a month or more to go in a typical fire season. The record year for acreage burned was 2005 when Nevada burned over 1.5 million acres.
A very wet winter across central and northern Nevada has produced an increase of cheatgrass and other fuels. Recent large fires in these areas have displayed extreme fire behavior and a high resistance to control. Very hot and dry conditions over the last few weeks have caused both live and dead fuel moistures to decrease to critical levels. Each new fire start has the potential to grow large and is requiring a substantial amount of resources to suppress.
The prevention team will be traveling to different districts to share the prevention message:
- Wednesday, July 26 – Friday, July 28, Carson City District
- Saturday, July 27, Winnemucca District
- Sunday, July 28 – Monday, July 31, Desert Basin Zone
- Tuesday, August 1 – Thursday, August 3, Elko District
Most human caused wildfires are preventable. Proper maintenance and use of outdoor equipment and vehicles can help prevent sparks that can cause a wildfire. It’s not too late to create defensible space around your home but you must act before there’s smoke in the air. Learn how at www.livingwithfire.info.
Please do your part to help spread the word that One Less Spark means One Less Wildfire. Follow the campaign on Facebook at BLM Nevada and Twitter @BLMNV for live updates and prevention tips.
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.