Tag: wildfire
Using Preemergence Herbicide to Control Cheatgrass on Your Property
Cheatgrass is probably the most ignitable plant in Nevada’s rangelands. It’s called a “winter annual” which means that it germinates in the fall and quickly grows until cold temperatures arrive. It lays dormant in the winter, then continues growing through early spring until it dies in the summer right as temperatures are heating up, thus […]
Read More ►“Don’t Panic” Lessons Learned During a Wildfire Evacuation
This Fire Year 2020 has been a challenging one. As I’m writing this from my home in Reno, I’m looking out my window. I used to have a nice view of Peavine Peak, but today it’s hidden under a blanket of dense smoke from the Loyalton Fire. So far this year, thousands of Nevadans have […]
Read More ►Prepare for Wildfire – Pack a To-Go Bag
Photograph Courtesy of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension My colleague shared her experience when a wildfire was approaching her community several years ago. “In the early morning hours, I woke to a nearby friend’s text saying ‘I can see the flames coming down the hillside. We’re evacuating!’ After racing out the front door, smelling smoke and […]
Read More ►Be Careful when Removing the Flammable Weed Cheatgrass
Dried Cheatgrass When talking with a neighbor, she expressed her concern over the flammability of cheatgrass and asked me how to safely remove it this time of year. As Outreach Coordinator for the Living With Fire Program, this is a common question that I hear from residents during the late spring, early summer time. In […]
Read More ►Choosing the Right Landscaper
Photograph Courtesy of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. As the weather warms up, I look forward to following those defensible space suggestions made by Nevada Division of Forestry’s Fire Protection Officer Chanse Hunwardsen . My neighbors (who also have received defensible space inspections) and I collaboratively decided to hire a landscaper to perform work on a […]
Read More ►Replacing Mulch with Mulch
Partially composted mulch Since starting as the Outreach Coordinator with the Living With Fire Program, I have learned that landscape mulch located next to the house is undesirable. This is because, from a defensible space stand point, embers from a wildfire can ignite the mulch, and produce flames next to the house, possibly igniting it […]
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Inventory my belongings?
If a fire destroyed your home, would you be able to remember the estimated value and age of all your possessions for insurance purposes? Yea, me neither! Since September is National Preparedness Month, I started an inventory of my personal belongings. It’s important as it provides an accurate record of a homeowner’s possessions, helps process […]
Read More ►Debunking Wildfire Myths
Most homes are destroyed during wildfire by burning embers landing on, in or near the house on something easy to ignite. In this photograph, embers have ignited the house and started several spot fires in the pine needle litter. Photograph courtesy of North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. Have you scrutinized your homeowner’s insurance policy […]
Read More ►Being Ember Aware
After experiencing the recent Driscoll Fire, (click here to view last month’s blog) it becomes even more important to continue my efforts to make my home wildfire prepared. I look to the publication, “Be Ember Aware!” for ideas on how to reduce the wildfire threat to my home. This publication contains a list of 22 […]
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