Wildfires never out of season
State and federal fire officials warned Tuesday that two years of “extreme drought” compounded by an unusually hot and dry year to date are expected to extend the wildfire season in Southern Nevada.
It may not even really be a season anymore.
“The fires will be coming year-round. It’s not just a few months out of the year anymore,” said Bob Trodahl, fire chief with the National Park Service at Lake Mead.
Trodahl and other fire officials gathered Tuesday to convey their concerns and give the public a heads-up at the Bureau of Land Management’s Red Rock Fire Station at the Red Rock recreation area. The fire station is near where a 1,500-acre wildfire burned along state Route 159 in September.
Fire officials saw a handful of small fires near Mount Potosi in April that they believe were started by people building campfires or target shooting. The fires didn’t spread and weren’t a threat.
Officials said they were particularly worried that the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area and Mount Charleston could be at high risk for wildfires because of the large number of dry trees on the mountains could ignite from lightning strikes.
The precipitation for Las Vegas for the year to date is nearly 2 inches less than normal and of late the high temperatures have been some 8 to 10 degrees higher than normal. The warmer- and drier-than-usual weather is expected to continue, increasing the likelihood of fires in Southern Nevada.
In 2006, 1,247 wildland fires burned 1.3 million acres in Nevada.
While Nevada hasn’t had a major wildfire yet this year, Florida and Georgia have been battling huge blazes for more than a week. Fires in northern Florida and southeast Georgia have burned almost 150,000 acres, causing more than 500 people to be evacuated.
Fires such as those affect the amount of firefighting resources available to Southern Nevada, officials said.
“I have a lot of resources that come from Kentucky and North Carolina that come in and help us out this time of year. But they’re tied up in the fires in Georgia,” Trodahl said.
Southern Nevada fire officials have asked for additional fire engines, helicopters and personnel to help combat any blazes that start here. They said they expect to get the additional resources, but it will depend on whether they are more desperately needed elsewhere.
Kevin Oliver, fire management officer with the BLM, said an “above average” fire season is expected but not one as severe as in 2006. He said his agency will have 22 firefighters on hand this season to battle wildfires in Southern Nevada, with more to come if they need it.
He said he asked for additional firefighters for the Memorial Day weekend, for example, and he expects he will get them. He said he isn’t worried that the various firefighting arms of agencies in Southern Nevada appear to be short-staffed because they can always request firefighters from other areas.
To try to reduce the chances for wildfires, state and federal agencies also are restricting campfires, smoking and fireworks on federal lands. The restrictions were prompted by the high temperatures that have been drying vegetation, officials said.
Campfires are allowed in developed recreational sites where fees are charged and in grills on developed picnic areas of Lake Mead and a few other places.
Welding or operating acetylene torches with open flames with permits, detonating explosives without a permit and firing tracers are all prohibited on federal lands, and so are fireworks of any kind.
Each violation of any of the restrictions is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 per violation and up to a year in jail.
