Podcast Episode 3 - Managing Fire in Nevada

The federal government manages nearly 85 % of all the land in Nevada. How do federal agencies manage wildfire in Nevada?

On the third episode of the Living With Fire podcast, "Managing Fire in Nevada," host Megan Kay interviewed Gwen Sanchez, Fire Management Officer with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, and Paul Peterson, the Nevada State Fire Management Officer with the Bureau of Land Management about managing fire in Nevada.

Sanchez and Peterson explain how agencies work together throughout the state to respond to fire, restore landscapes and mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfire. They point out that, fire is a natural process that's vital to ecosystem health in Nevada. However, fires often ignite under conditions that could put communities at risk. So, part of the job of a fire management officer is weighing the benefit and risk of fire on the landscape and suppressing fire when necessary.

“So, wildfire knows no boundaries, and it doesn’t have the consideration to either start on public or private land,” said Peterson. Therefore, agencies in Nevada work closely with cooperators and partners to respond quickly to wildfires. Sanchez adds, “It doesn’t matter what color the engine, or where the fire starts, we’re going to send the closest resource to that fire to start engaging that fire the quickest.”