13.1 Risk and Hazard Assessment

Lee/South Fork Indian Reservation is a mixed ownership community of tribal trust land and private land located in western Elko County between State Routes 228 and 227 along the south fork of the Humboldt River. The community hazard assessment resulted in classifying Lee/SFIR in the High Hazard category (61 points). A summary of the factors that contributed to the hazard rating is included in Tables 13-3. The high rating is primarily attributed to limited access and inadequate defensible space. The community boundary identified for this report is shown in Figure 13-1.

13.1.1 Community Design

The wildland-urban interface area around Lee/SFIR is an intermix condition. Structures are scattered throughout the community with no clear line of demarcation between structures and wildland fuels. A total of 53 homes were assessed for this report. Twenty of the homes are on parcels between one and ten acres in size; the remainder are on lots of one acre or less.

• Access: State Route 228 is the primary access to Lee/SFIR. County Road 714/Lee Road is the primary road through the community. There are several dead-end roads in the community and narrow roads that do not provide adequate turn-around space for fire suppression equipment to maneuver.
• Signage: Street signs and residential addresses are not visible on any streets or homes in Lee/SFIR. Clear and visible street signs and residential addresses are important in locating homes during low visibility conditions that occur during a wildfire.
• Utilities: All of the utilities are above ground. Power line corridors need proper maintenance to minimize wildfire damage to electric utilities and reduce the possibility that sparks could start a fire in adjacent vegetation.

13.1.2 Construction Materials

In Lee/SFIR, all but four of the homes observed in the interface area are built with non-combustible or highly fire resistant siding materials such as medium density fiberboard. All of the homes have fire resistant roofing materials such as composition roofing, metal, or tile. Three of the homes have unenclosed porches, decks, or balconies that create drafts and provide areas where sparks and embers can be trapped, smolder, ignite, and rapidly spread fire to the house.

13.1.3 Defensible Space

In Lee/SFIR half of the homes observed in the interface do not meet the minimum recommended defensible space requirement to help protect the home from damage or loss during a wildfire.

13.1.4 Suppression Capabilities

Wildfire Protection Resources

Lee/SFIR does not have an organized fire department. The closest fire suppression resources to Lee/SFIR are located in Jiggs, Ten Mile, Spring Creek, and Elko. Table 13-1 lists the types of local wildfire resources, cooperating partners, and equipment available for initial response to Lee/SFIR area in the event of a reported wildfire. Additional resources are available from local, state, and federal agencies through mutual aid agreements as described in Section 4.1.1.

Table 13-1. Lee Wildfire Suppression Resources

Type of Equipment	Amount of Equipment	Cooperating Partner (Resource Location)
Type 3 Engine Type 6 Engine Water Tender	1 2 1	Jiggs VFD (Jiggs)
Type 2 Engine	1	Spring Creek VFD (Spring Creek)
Type 4 Engine	1	Ten Mile VFD (Ten Mile)
Type 4 Engine	1	Bureau of Land Management (Elko)
Source: Sam Hicks, Nevada Division of Forestry Elko County Prevention Captain; Lorayne London, SFIR Environmental Coordinator.

Water Sources and Infrastructure

Water available for fire suppression resources for Lee/SFIR is limited to a community well and the Humboldt River. There are three hydrants in the Te-Moak housing development, which are fed from a 65,000-gallon municipal water tank.

13.1.5 Factors Affecting Fire Behavior

Fuels in the southeastern portion of Lee/SFIR community consist of shrubs, four to eight feet tall, including sagebrush, bitterbrush, and rabbitbrush. Basin wildrye, crested wheatgrass, and cheatgrass compose the understory at a height of two to four feet tall. Fuel loading is estimated at five to six tons per acre. The shrubs are densely spaced in the interface area which was determined to be a high to extreme fuel hazard. At the north end of the community juniper trees from ten to twenty feet tall with five to fifty foot spacing dominate the vegetation and are considered an extreme fuel hazard. Fuel loading in this area was estimated at eight to ten tons per acre. Along the west side of the community there is sagebrush from two to three feet tall with moderate density. Irrigated native hayland, a low fuel hazard, is located throughout the center of the community along the South Fork of the Humboldt River, Pearl Creek, and Rattlesnake Creek. Generally, the terrain in Lee/SFIR is generally flat to gently rolling slopes. The prevailing wind is from the south and southwest. Lightning and strong winds in the summer are common. Fuel hazard mapping in the community and wildland-urban interface is shown in Figure 13-2. Fuel hazard photo points are shown in Figure 13-3.

13.1.6 Fire Behavior Worst Case Scenario

The worst-case scenario for a wildfire in the area surrounding Lee/SFIR would start with an ignition fire in the sagebrush fuels. If the fire started near structures, the strong winds, greater than twenty miles per hour could quickly drive the fire toward the structures before resources could arrive.

13.1.7 Ignition Risk Assessment

Lee/SFIR has a moderate ignition risk based on wildfire history and areas with moderate to extreme fuel hazards. The primary risk of ignition in Lee/SFIR is lightning, although human caused ignitions are unpredictable and can occur at any time.

13.2 Risk and Hazard Reduction Recommendations

The responsibility to keep a community fire safe falls not only on the local fire protection district but also on the residents and local governments. The recommendations for the Lee/SFIR area focus primarily on the ongoing and additional efforts to create and maintain defensible space and on the community coordination and public education efforts that could be undertaken to enhance fire safety.

13.2.1 Defensible Space Treatments

Defensible space treatments are an essential first line of defense for residential structures. The goal of the treatments is to significantly reduce or remove flammable vegetation within a prescribed distance from structures. (Refer to Appendix E for the minimum recommended defensible space area). Defensible space reduces the fire intensity and improves firefighter and homeowner chances for successfully defending a structure against oncoming wildfire.

Residents and Property Owner Recommendations

• Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes according to the guidelines in Appendix E. This area should be kept:
  • Lean: There are only small amounts of flammable vegetation.
  • Clean: There is no accumulation of dead vegetation or other flammable debris.
  • Green: Existing plants are healthy and green during the fire season.
• Store firewood a minimum distance of thirty feet from structures.
• Remove all dead vegetation and other flammable materials a minimum of five feet from the exterior of the structure.
• Mow or remove brush growing against fences in the community. The minimum distance for clearance should be ten feet in grass and 25 feet in brush.
• Where cheatgrass has become dominant within the defensible space zone, areas should be mowed prior to seed maturity or treated with an application of a pre-emergent herbicide. Treatments may need to be repeated for several years to ensure that the seed bank of unwanted annual grass seeds has been depleted. Refer to Appendix E for a recommended seed mixture and planting guidelines that can be used in conjunction with cheatgrass removal.
• Maintain areas under wood decks and porches free of weeds and other flammable debris. Enclose these areas when possible. Box in eves and cover attic and other ventilation openings with very fine metal wire mesh to prevent embers from entering the attic or crawl space.
• Clear all vegetation and combustible materials around propane tanks for a minimum distance of ten feet.
• Clear weeds and brush to a width of ten feet along both sides of the driveways.
• Trim and remove tree branches a minimum of four feet from the ground to reduce ladder fuels on all deciduous and coniferous trees within the defensible space zone. Prune all dead and diseased branches.
• Prune all tree branches to a minimum distance of fifteen feet from buildings, paying special attention around chimneys.
• Immediately dispose of cleared vegetation when implementing defensible space treatments. This material dries quickly and poses a fire hazard if left on site.
• Where possible, irrigate all trees and large shrubs that remain in close proximity to structures to increase their fire resiliency. This is especially important during drought conditions.
• Maintain the defensible space as needed.
• Board up or remove abandoned trailers and other structures to prevent ignition from sparks or firebrands.

13.2.2 Fuels Reduction Treatments

Fuel reduction treatments are applied on a larger scale than defensible space treatments. Permanently changing the fuel characteristics over large blocks of land to one of a lower volume and one of altered distribution reduces the risk of a catastrophic wildfire in the treated area. Reducing vegetation along roadways and driveways could reduce the likelihood of blocking access and escape routes, help contain the fire perimeter, and improve firefighter access and safety for protecting homes.

South Fork Indian Reservation

• Mow or otherwise remove all vegetation within ten feet of the three fire hydrants to improve visibility and access for fire personnel.
• Reduce vegetation and maintain roads by mowing all vegetation to a height of no more than four inches for a distance of twenty feet from the edge of both sides of the road. Treatment is especially needed along dead-end community roads to provide additional turn-around space for fire suppression apparatus. Remove biomass and disposed of it at an appropriate site. Reseed treated areas with fire resistant species such as recommended in Appendix E to minimize cheatgrass and noxious weed invasion.

Utility Company

• Reduce and remove vegetation to maintain clearance around power lines. Clear vegetation within fifteen feet of utility poles near the community.

13.2.3 Community Coordination

Property Owners and Residents

• Ensure residential addresses are easily visible from the road. Address characters should be at least four inches high, reflective on a dark background, and made of non-flammable material.

South Fork Indian Reservation

• Improve street sign and address visibility.
• Develop an evacuation plan that identifies routes of travel, shelter in place areas, and individuals with needs for special assistance such as non-ambulatory residents.
• Develop and enforce brush clearance and biomass disposal programs.
• Form a local community-based organization to take responsibility and provide leadership for community-wide fuels reduction and community fire safety. The Nevada Fire Safe Council is one option for community organization. Through the establishment of a local Nevada Fire Safe Council Chapter, local communities will become part of a large network for sharing information, including notification of programs and funding opportunities for fire mitigation projects such as those listed in this report. The Nevada Fire Safe Council will accept and manage grants and contracts on the Chapter’s behalf through its non-profit status. The Nevada Fire Safe Council will provide assistance and support to communities to complete fire safe plans, set priorities, educate and train community members, and promote success stories of its members. To form a local chapter or for more information contact the:
  

  Nevada Fire Safe Council
  210 South Roop Street Suite 101
  Carson City, NV 89701
  www.nvfsc.org

13.3 Summary of Recommendations

Table 13-2. Lee/South Fork Indian Reservation Risk and Hazard Reduction Priority Recommendations

Involved Party	Recommended Treatment	Recommendation Description
Residents and Property Owners	Defensible Space	Remove, reduce, and replace vegetation around homes according to the guidelines in Appendix E. Maintain the defensible space condition annually.
	Community Coordination	Ensure addresses are easily visible from the road.
Utility Company	Fuels Reduction	Reduce and remove vegetation to maintain clearance around power lines. Clear vegetation within fifteen feet of utility poles near the community.
South Fork Indian Reservation	Fuels Reduction	Mow or otherwise remove all vegetation within ten feet of the three fire hydrants to improve visibility and access for fire personnel. Reduce vegetation and maintain roads by mowing all vegetation to a height of no more than four inches for a distance of twenty feet from the edge of both sides of the road. Treatment is especially needed along dead-end community roads to provide additional turn-around space for fire suppression apparatus.
	Community Coordination	Improve street sign and address visibility. Form a local community-based organization to provide leadership and be responsible for community-wide fuels reduction and community fire safety. Develop an evacuation plan that identifies routes of travel, shelter in place areas, and individuals with needs for special assistance such as non-ambulatory residents. Develop and enforce brush clearance and biomass disposal programs.

Table 13-3 Lee/South Fork Indian Reservation Wildfire Hazard Rating Summary

Figure 13-1 Lee/South Fork Indian Reservation Fire History small | large | x-large
Figure 13-2 Lee/South Fork Indian Reservation Classification of Fuel Hazard small | large | x-large