Carson City at Risk

house on fireThere is more wildfire in our future and for many areas in Carson City, it is not a matter of “if” wildfire is going to occur, but “when”. Unfortunately, many residents and their homes are not prepared to survive wildfire. Faced with the growing potential for loss of human life and property due to wildfire, Nevada’s local, state and federal firefighting agencies, Nevada Fire Safe Council, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and local county government have come together to promote the FAC concept. They believe this is the best response to decrease our wildfire threat. There are proven steps that homeowners can take to improve the odds of human life and home survival during wildfire. The purpose of the Carson City FAC project is to promote and teach these steps. Once implemented at the neighborhood level, these recommendations will assist communities in becoming FACs.

Who Wins, Who Loses

Why do some houses survive a wildfire, while others are destroyed? Research findings prove that house survival during wildfire is not random, miraculous, or dumb luck. Rather, it is the features of the house, the characteristics of the adjacent vegetation and other fuels, and routine maintenance that often determine which homes burn and which survive. These types of actions are called pre-fire activities. Pre-fire activities are actions completed before a wildfire occurs that improve the survivability of people and the home. The winners will be the people who implement pre-fire activities. When everyone in the neighborhood completes their pre-fire activities, they start becoming a FAC.

Fire Adapted Community (FAC):

A community located in a fire-prone area that requires little assistance from firefighters during a wildfire. Residents of these communities accept responsibility for living in a high fire-hazard area. They possess the knowledge and skills to… 

  • Prepare their homes and property to survive wildfire.
  • Evacuate early, safely and effectively.
  • Survive, if trapped by wildfire.

The Elements of a Fire Adapted Community, Community Protection, Access, Defensible Space, Built Environment, and much more are found in the PDF version of the publication. Please use the link below to learn more.

Smith, E., Sistare, S., Nejedlo, G. 2011, Fire Adapted Communities: The Next Step in Wildfire Preparedness, Carson City, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, SP-11-01

Extension Associated Contacts

 

Also of Interest:

 
Idlewild Park farmers market
Nevada Farmers Markets Strategic Marketing Plan
Discover how Nevada’s farmers markets can thrive through digital, community, and on-site marketing. This plan equips markets with tailored strategies, tools, and messaging to boost visibility, vendor success, and community impact.
A. Andrews, S. Park, G. Yun, S. Purnell, T. Felts, S. Malik, A. Lopez, C. Holden 2025, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno
Scrabble tiles spelling out Social Media with Reyna Mendez
Social Media Marketing | SBEP Marketing Town Hall
Learn all about social media marketing with our guest speaker Nicole Taylor Sharp! Alfredo Cedeño also joins us to discuss the SBA loan programs.
Reyna Mendez, Juan Salas, Mike Bindrup, Farrah Stockett 2021, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno
Social media icons
How to Use Social Media for Small Farms
Learn how to use social media for your small farm from Kelsey Hall from USU Agricultural Communications and Journalism.
Hall, K. 2014, Utah State University Extension, Youtube
WRCEFS Social Media Webinar November 2020
WRCEFS hosted a webinar on social media engagement featuring Dr. Connie Fisk. Common questions about social media use, engaging with growers online, and the advantages of using social media were some of the numerous topics discussed during this 1 hour webinar.
Connie Fisk 2020, Western Regional Center to Enhance Food Safety
Facebook like hand with Mike Bindrup
Likes vs Engagement in Social Media | SBEP Marketing Quick Tip
Mike Bindrup explains the difference between likes and engagement in social media.
M. Bindrup, J. Salas, R. Mendez, F. Stockett 2021, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno
 

Associated Programs

Reyna Teaching a Class

Small Business Education Program

The Small Business Education Program aims to instruct small business owners about fundamental business concepts while providing access and direction to informational resources. Small business owners, at any stage of development, can benefit from educational opportunities and awareness of all business network resources. This is where the Small Business Education Program, with its workshops and relationships with Nevada business programs, steps in to act as a guide.

Reyna teaching a class at Latin Chamber

Small Business Education - Versión en Español

El Small Business Education Program tiene como objetivo instruir a los dueños de pequeños negocios y emprendedores acerca de conceptos fundamentales de negocio, mientras brinda acceso y dirección a recursos informativos. Los dueños de pequeños negocios, en cualquier etapa de desarrollo, pueden beneficiarse de las oportunidades educativas y del conocimiento de todos los recursos de nuestra red empresarial. Aquí es donde el Small Business Education Program, con sus talleres y relaciones con progra