Response to Fire
 Facing the most ominous natural disaster in recent
memory, Carson City met the Waterfall Fire challenge
head-on and gained the upper hand in a situation that
many fire experts feared would be among the worst in the
region's history.
Last month's Waterfall Fire tested our community's
resolve, but also illustrated the benefits of good local
planning, teamwork among many government agencies,
and tremendous cooperation from residents and businesses.
The final damage totals – 8799 acres burned, 31 homes lost or damaged, 3 businesses lost or damaged, 32 out
buildings lost or damaged and 51 vehicles lost – are devastating
to those whose property was affected, but can be
somewhat balanced by one very important statistic: there
were no human lives lost, and no civilian injuries as a
result of the fire.
The relatively low loss of property in a
fire of this size is even more remarkable when
considering that flames were first noticed in a
remote location that was difficult to quickly
pinpoint and access. Despite the unfavorable conditions, crews were on-site within twenty
minutes, beginning an intensive process that
used hand crews (who clear fire breaks with
axes and other small tools), aircraft, and fire
trucks.
As the fire grew, its behavior was “amazing”
according to Carson City Acting Fire
Chief Stacey Giomi, who is a veteran of many
wildfires. “Fire activity in the area was completely
unpredictable, making it very hard to
fight and putting firefighters in danger as
flames quickly changed direction,” Giomi
notes.
In fact, the environment in which
the fire started – a windy, remote
canyon location, extremely low
moisture in the air, and a forest filled
with bone-dry trees and vegetation –
was the perfect host for this kind of
disaster. "There are times when all
the conditions are right, despite all
the precautions we take, that fires
are not controllable. In this case, the
fire was controlling us – we weren't
controlling it. It was like trying to
corral a tornado,” Giomi added.
The fire, which started in the
early morning hours of Thursday,
July 14 and declared fully contained
a week later, was the result of environmental
conditions that are among
the worst on record. We're in the midst of an
five-year drought, which has had a devastating
effect on trees. In fact, the moisture level
in many of our region's trees is now between
6-10%, which is about the same as the kilndried
lumber which you can buy at a home
improvement store.
These dry trees are an ideal fuel for wildfires,
and the situation has been made worse
by clear-cut logging which occurred over a
century ago and policies in our country which
favor fire suppression rather than allowing wildfires to burn uncontrolled.
It is helpful to more closely examine the
conditions which led to the fire, since we're
living an environment which, undeniably,
will face a similar disaster in the future. The
fire area, and much of the Tahoe Basin, was
clear-cut over a century ago by Comstock
Logging, and we're still seeing the effects
today.
Many of our forests re-grew at the same
time, resulting in trees which are now over a
hundred years old, closely spaced, and coexisting
with dense brush that has never been
cleared by a natural wildfire. Adding to the deadly condition of our forests is the large
amount of highly flammable pitch, or sap,
which is seeping from old or diseased pine
trees. Combine these lethal attributes with
very dry brush and hot weather, and the result
is a fire like Waterfall.
Fortunately, for quite some time, local
public safety officials, led by the Carson City
Fire and Sheriff's Departments and assisted
by state and federal agencies, have recognized
the dangerous condition of our surrounding
forests and have taken steps to
ensure that when wildfires do inevitably
occur, our community
is prepared. This
advance planning kept
the Waterfall Fire
from ravaging many
more properties and,
undoubtedly saved
lives.
Advance preparation
included educating
property owners
about defensible
space (explained in
this newsletter),
developing detailed
mutual aid plans so
that other agencies
can quickly help
Carson City crews,
and providing the training and equipment that
allowed crews to meet the fire's challenge.
Throughout the three days when the fire
was at its most intense, Carson City residents
displayed courage and cooperation as they
followed evacuation orders, cleared roadways
for emergency vehicles, and assisted public safety officials in numerous ways.
Even with the advance planning, the
resources necessary to combat a fire of this
size are considerable. Total firefighting-related
costs are now at about eight million dollars
and could climb higher in the weeks ahead;
fortunately, almost all of these costs will be
covered by the state and federal governments
so that Carson City's services will not suffer.
At its peak, over 1900 personnel were
involved with firefighting efforts, representing all levels of government.
Combating a fire of this size can only succeed
when local officials are helped by other
organizations as part of a coordinated team.
Our community was assisted by many
agencies to whom we owe thanks, including
the U.S. Forest Service, State of
Nevada, and several nearby fire districts.“ Cooperation between agencies was
unparalleled,” notes United States Forest
Service Public Affairs Officer Franklin
Pemberton. “I’ve never seen a group
work together so efficiently on a fire that
was almost unstoppable,” Pemberton
added. “This teamwork certainly is a key
reason why no lives were lost.”
Impacts of the fire will be with us for
many years. The fire area is quite unstable
and unsafe, so stay away if you don't
have a valid reason to visit. Prepare your
family and your property now for possible
fall and winter flooding that may result from
the barren forest. And please remember that
the majestic forests surrounding Carson City
can be lethal – so follow the suggestions in
this newsletter to make sure you're ready the
next time fire strikes.
For more information contact the Carson
City Fire Department at 775-887-2210 to
learn more about the Waterfall Fire.
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