Fire season declared in Nevada

Sandra Chereb

Friday, June 18, 1999 | 6:04 a.m.

RENO, Nev. - Hot, dry weather across Nevada with the promise of hotter and drier days ahead prompted state fire officials on Friday to formally declare the start of the 1999 wildfire season.

"We're facing the potential for explosive and rapid spread of wildland fires through grasses, light vegetation and layers of dead vegetation and debris from previous years," state Forester Roy Trenoweth said.

"The continued increase of homes in wildland areas coupled with the tremendous amount of dead and dying vegetation is producing conditions for the type of catastrophic wildland fire we all fear."

Fires have already charred more than 20,000 acres this spring in Nevada, which has largely been spared severe wildland blazes the past two years.

Ironically, Nevada's good fortune during that time is adding to this year's apprehension.

"In general, there's a lot of standing fuel from the past two years. We have a real good potential for a very active fire season," said Steve Frady, Nevada Division of Forestry spokesman.

Last year, the fire season did not officially begin in Nevada until July 1, thanks to a chilly, wet spring. Still, 80,740 acres of Nevada went up in smoke, twice the 44,825 acres of the year before but not much in comparison to 1996's disastrous 777,116-acre season.

"We had a lot of moisture last year, a lot of growth," Frady said. On the other hand, much of the north escaped heavy winter snowfalls.

"A lot of standing vegetation didn't get compressed. It's still standing and that just means a fire moves much, much faster," he said.

One of the biggest dangers this year is the threat of lightning and an abundance of cheat grass, a volatile fuel that ignites quickly and spreads flames rapidly, Frady said.

In southern Nevada, skimpy moisture this winter resulted in less vegetation growth. But drought-like conditions have already fueled two lightning-sparked wildland blazes in remote Lincoln County earlier this month.

The Blue Garden fire charred more than 10,000 acres 85 miles northeast of Las Vegas, while the Rainbow Ranch fire flashed through about 1,900 acres of dry brush and cheat grass a mile southwest of Elgin.

Only time will tell how Nevada will fare against this year's fire threat, Frady said.

"It'd be nice to have a crystal ball, but unfortunately that doesn't come with the job," he said.