Appendix D

The Virginia Highlands
Fire Safe Homeowner Guidelines

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ZONE 1
Fire Hazard – Extreme

Location

Primarily one-acre lots between Cartwright Road and Lousetown Road.

Neighborhood Description

MANY HOMES HAVE BEEN, AND CONTINUE TO BE BUILT IN THIS EXTREME FIRE DANGER ZONE. Management of the pinyon-juniper woodlands over the last 100 years has allowed tree densities to increase and individual trees to grow to maximum size. Tree cover has increased and displaced forage species and habitats used by a wider variety of birds and other wildlife species.

Dense Pinyon-juniper woodlands are known to be:

• Dangerous wildfire fuel
• Biologically undesirable for species diversity
• Susceptible to widespread disease and insect epidemics
• Indicative of unstable and erosive watershed conditions

Problems

• Extreme Vegetative Fuel Load – Pinyon-Juniper and brush.
• Difficult Access
  • Roads – narrow and winding
  • Driveways – steep, winding, overgrown with flammable vegetation
• Hazardous Home Sites – wood siding, shake roofs, lack of defensible space.

What Needs to Be Done…

• Reestablish a diverse and healthy natural environment.
• Restore diversity of wildlife habitats.
• Protect your personal property and community from the devastating destruction of wildfire.
• SAVE YOUR LIFE.

What YOU Can Do…

• FIRE-FIGHTER-FRIENDLY – If fire fighters cannot safely and quickly access your home in a widespread emergency, they have no choice but to move to properties that can be safely accessed and defended.
• Identify street names and residential addresses with 4-inch high iridescent lettering.
• Create your own DEFENSIBLE SPACE within 100 feet of your home and out-buildings, reduce tree density to 30-foot spacing between tree crowns, and limb trees to 4 feet within 100 feet of the residence.
• Reduce shrub density within 100 feet of buildings to eliminate ladder fuel potential.
• Clear vegetation along private roadways and driveways within 50 feet of the centerline, and thin shrubs to 10-foot spacing for an additional 25 feet.
• Construct adequate turn-around space near structures for emergency equipment.
• ENCOURAGE YOUR NEIGHBORS TO DO THE SAME.

Community Actions…

• Construct adequate fuel breaks along Lousetown, Cartwright, Sazarac, and Saddleback Roads. Reseed with recommended fire-resistant mix.
• Optimal Fuel Break widths of 200 feet.

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ZONE 2
Fire Hazard – High

Location

Primarily one-acre lots at Fivemile Flat and the Highway 341 corridor, in the southern portion of the Virginia Highland project area.

Neighborhood Description

Access in this zone is generally good since all roads are well maintained and of moderate slope, and within short distances of Hwy. 341

Problems

• Moderate Vegetative Fuel Load – Pinyon-Juniper and brush.
• Threat of fire moving from outside the community perimeter
  • Heavily fueled canyons to the west lead to densely populated areas in the community.
  • Zone 2 is the only break between the outside threat and the extreme hazards in Zone 1.

What Needs to Be Done…

• Reestablish a diverse and healthy natural environment.
• Restore diversity of wildlife habitats.
• Protect your personal property and community from the devastating destruction of wildfire.

What YOU Can Do…

• FIRE-FIGHTER-FRIENDLY – If fire fighters cannot safely and quickly access your home in a widespread emergency, they have no choice but to move to properties that can be safely accessed and defended
• Identify street names and residential addresses with 4-inch high iridescent lettering
• Create your own DEFENSIBLE SPACE within 30 to 50 feet of your home and out-buildings, and limb trees to 4 feet within 60 feet of the residence
• Reduce shrub density within 60 feet of buildings to eliminate ladder fuel potential
• Clear vegetation along private roadways and driveways within 20 feet of the centerline, and thin shrubs to 10-foot spacing for an additional 30 feet
• Construct adequate turn-around space near structures for emergency equipment
• ENCOURAGE YOUR NEIGHBORS TO DO THE SAME.

Community Actions…

• Construct adequate fuel breaks along Lousetown and Cartwright, and reseed with recommended mix.
• Optimal Fuel Break widths of 50 feet
• Thin bitterbrush and sagebrush stands to 10-foot spacing

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ZONE 3
Fire Hazard – Very High

Location

Primarily one-acre lots in the east central portion of the Virginia Highlands project area

Neighborhood Description

Moderate to steep slopes with generally good access and close proximity to the Storey County Fire Department, Station #2. Lighter fuel loads and flatter slope gradients characterize Zone 3 east of the fire station.

Problems

• Brushy Vegetative Fuel Load-primarily tall brush with scattered inclusions of pinyon and juniper trees
• Lower elevation and drier climate

What Needs to Be Done…

• Reestablish a diverse and healthy natural environment.
• Restore diversity of wildlife habitats.
• Protect your personal property and community from the devastating destruction of wildfire.

What YOU Can Do…

• FIRE-FIGHTER-FRIENDLY – If fire fighters cannot safely and quickly access your home in a widespread emergency, they have no choice but to move to properties that can be safely accessed and defended
• Create your own DEFENSIBLE SPACE within 30 feet of your home and out-buildings, extend treatment area to 60 feet with shrub thinning to a 15-foot spacing, and clear any shrubs and vegetation around trees. Limb trees to 4-foot height.
• Identify street names and residential addresses with 4-inch high iridescent lettering
• Fuel breaks-create a 50-foot treatment area along private driveways, and thin shrubs to 15-foot spacing. Clear brush within 15 feet of trees, and maintain a 15-foot distance between individual trees.
• Construct adequate turn-around space near structures for emergency equipment
• ENCOURAGE YOUR NEIGHBORS TO DO THE SAME.

Community Actions…

• Optimal Fuel Break widths of 200 feet for that portion of Lousetown Road that lies within Zone 3, and reseed with recommended mix.

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ZONE 4
Fire Hazard – Moderate

Location

Eastern edge of the Virginia Highlands project area.

Neighborhood Description

The small amount of development in this area reduces threats to private property.

Problems

• Steep slopes

What Needs to Be Done…

• Protect your personal property and community from the devastating destruction of wildfire.
• Reestablish a diverse and healthy natural environment.
• Restore diversity of wildlife habitats.

What YOU Can Do…

• Make your property FIRE-FIGHTER-FRIENDLY – If fire fighters cannot safely and quickly access your home in a widespread emergency, they have no choice but to move to properties that can be safely accessed and defended.
• Create your own DEFENSIBLE SPACE within 30 feet of your home and out-buildings, limb trees to 4 feet, mow cheatgrass and other flash fuels and replace hazardous fuels with fire-retardant species or desert landscaping and rock.
• Thin vegetation along private roadways and driveways – Control vegetation to 30 feet on either side of the road or driveway, with a 5-6 foot spacing between shrubs.
• ENCOURAGE YOUR NEIGHBORS TO DO THE SAME.