division of forestry

Satin moths found in Spooner Lake area

Seven acres of poplar and willow trees defoliated by satin moths were recently discovered in the Spooner Lake area.The Nevada Department of Agriculture and the Nevada Division of Forestry found ...

Burn pile spreads into brush fire on Cold Creek Trail in South Lake Tahoe (updated)

Update 12:22PM: A small brush fire on Cold Creek Trail in South Lake Tahoe is contained and burned about one-quarter of an acre, reports U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Cheva Heck. Fire personnel from Lake Valley Fire Protection District and South Lake Tahoe and U.S. Forest Service brought the fire to containment. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Heck said. Initial reports that came in said the fire started as a backyard burn pile.

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Topaz fire in Douglas County grows to 4,400 acres, officials revise homes destroyed at 2, with 17 structures burned

Douglas County officials scaled back the number of homes burned in the TRE Fire on Tuesday night to two homes from seven, however, 17 outbuildings were destroyed and the fire burning in south Douglas County at Topaz Ranch Estates has grown to 4,400 acres.
Sgt. Jim Halsey of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office reported the clarification in a news release. The fire continues to move in a northeasterly direction, away from homes in the Topaz Ranch Estates residential area.

Fire Awareness Week at Lake Tahoe kicks off with activities, film series

With the theme "your home, your responsibility" the third Lake Tahoe Basin Wildfire Awareness Week begins Saturday, May 26 and will continue through June 3. The focus of the week is to promote homeowner and resident actions that reduce the risk from wildfire to homes and communities.

Washoe Drive Fire: 1 dead, 3,700 acres burned, more than 20 structures lost

View Washoe Drive Fire (1/19/2012) in a larger map

UPDATE 10PM: Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said tonight the Washoe Drive Fire has consumed and estimated 3,700 acres, burned at least 20 structures and has resulted in one fatality.
Hernandez would not go into details of how the person died. He said the 250+ firefighters on the scene have stopped the forward progress of the fire. He said the fire started in the East Lake area, and then followed the Highway 395 corridor north, where it was stopped just south of Galena High School.
Highway 395 will be closed until further notice due to damage to debris and damage to guard rails, power poles and other item near the roadway. Gov. Brian Sandoval told state workers who commute by this route to stay home Friday. Evacuations have been lifted for the Galena area. About 2,000 people are still unable to go back to their homes tonight.
Hernandez said firefighters saved more than 800 homes that were in the path of this destructive fire.
The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
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UPDATE 9PM: Reno Fire officials report forward progress on Washoe Drive fire has stopped. Fire behavior is moderating due to diminishing winds, lowering termperatures and increasing humidity/moisture moving over the Sierra Nevada/Carson Range. Fire burns more than 3,000 acres with zero containment; 10,000 evacuated; no count on home and structure losses.

U.S. Highway-395 remains closed between 1.8 miles north of Carson City to the Junction of SR 341/431 (Mt. Rose Junction) in south Reno. U.S. Highway 395 could remained closed on Friday (1/20) through the morning commute - make alternate plans.
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At 4:40 pm Thursday, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, under his constitutional and statutory authority, made a state declaration of emergency which qualifies local governments for federal assistance associated with this event. The National Guard is on standby at the request of Sandoval and Washoe County. California has also provided fire assistance as part of a Governor to Governor agreement with Jerry Brown.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire,” Sandoval said. “Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist. The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety have also engaged with local responders.”
Additionally, Nevada has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG). As a result, Nevada is eligible for up to 75 percent funding assistance for eligible costs. The request was made by the Nevada Division of Forestry on behalf of Washoe County at the onset of the fire.

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