‘Living With Fire’ offers free conferences to homeowners

Residents across the state are being encouraged to attend “Living With Fire” Regional Conferences being held this month to interact with their neighbors, firefighting representatives, natural resource specialists and others to learn how to prepare for wildfire at their homes and in their communities.

“Living With Fire” is a collaborative program founded in 1997 and directed by Ed Smith, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension natural resources specialist, to teach homeowners how to live more safely in Nevada’s increasingly high wildfire-hazard environments. This year’s Living With Fire Regional Conferences focus in large part on addressing the wildfire threat as a community, rather than just as an individual homeowner.

“The actions members of a community or neighborhood take together to prepare for wildfire can make a great difference in whether or not their homes will survive a wildfire,” Smith, who will be presenting at each conference, said. “It is much more effective in increasing safety of residents and survival of homes when a whole neighborhood has taken appropriate actions, rather than just a few residents.”

Participants attending this year’s Living With Fire Regional Conferences will learn about their local fire issues, the elements of a Fire-Adapted Community, new opportunities with the Nevada Network of Fire-Adapted Communities, and how a Community Wildfire Protection Plan can help them reduce their wildfire threat.

The free conferences are part of Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month, and will be held 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in six locations across the state:

Eureka County: Eureka Opera House, 31 S. Main St., Eureka, on May 6

Elko County: Spring Creek Fire Station, 5 Licht Parkway, Elko, on May 7

Humboldt County: University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, 1085 Fairgrounds Road, Winnemucca, on May 8

Douglas County: East Fork Fire and Paramedic District Station 7, 940 Mitch Drive, Gardnerville Ranchos, on May 15

Clark County: The Resort on Mount Charleston, 2275 Kyle Canyon Road, Mt. Charleston, on May 20

Lincoln County: Pioche Elementary School, 651 Airport Road, Pioche, on May 21

Meals and refreshments will be provided at some locations, starting at 5:30 p.m. Funding is available to reimburse attendee travel expenses if traveling more than 50 miles one way to attend. Contact Sonya Sistare at sistares@unce.unr.edu or 775-336-0271 for more information on the conferences, or to request special accommodations or assistance for a conference. The conferences and Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month are a collaborative effort by local, state and federal firefighting agencies; University of Nevada Cooperative Extension; and many others. For more information on the Living With Fire Regional Conferences or Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month activities, visit www.LivingWithFire.info.