Stage 2 fire restrictions took effect Monday across western Nevada as critically dry fuels and increased wildfire danger prompted new limits on activities that can spark wildfires.
The restrictions cover public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management’s Carson City District in Washoe, Storey, Churchill, Douglas, Lyon and Mineral counties, as well as private and county lands within the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District in Washoe County.
The restrictions come as fine fuels across western Nevada remain extremely dry after prolonged hot, dry weather. Those fuels can dry quickly after receiving moisture and return to a highly flammable condition capable of supporting rapid fire growth.
More than half of wildfires in the Sierra Front region are human-caused, with most ignitions occurring later in the afternoon, when temperatures are higher and vegetation is driest.
“With fuels this dry, preventing a wildfire ignition is our best opportunity to protect communities and firefighters,” said Adam Toomey, Hazardous Fuels Program Lead, U.S. Wildland Fire Service. “These restrictions are designed to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires during a period of extreme fire danger while allowing some activities when conditions are less hazardous.
“This has already been a long and challenging fire season for our community and our firefighters, and we are only halfway through what is typically a demanding time of year,” said Fire Chief Richard Edwards, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District. “Fire conditions across our region remain extremely dangerous, and even a small ignition can quickly become a serious wildfire. Stage 2 restrictions are an important step in reducing the potential for human-caused fires. We ask everyone to know the restrictions where they are recreating, plan ahead, and do their part to prevent wildfire.
Under Stage 2 restrictions, people may not build, maintain, attend, or use fires, campfires, or stove fires involving wood, charcoal, or other materials, with an exception for portable stoves using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel.
Smoking is prohibited except inside an enclosed vehicle or building, at a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of flammable material.
The restrictions also prohibit operating motorized vehicles off existing roads or operating or parking motorized vehicles and equipment over or on dried or cured vegetation. Welding, metal grinding and the use of acetylene or other open-flame torches are prohibited except by permit.
From 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., chainsaws and other equipment powered by internal combustion engines cannot be used for felling, bucking, skidding, yarding, processing, road building or woodcutting during industrial operations or firewood gathering.
Recreational target shooting is allowed only between sunrise and 1 p.m. Shooters must have a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher weighing at least 8 ounces and a round-point shovel at least 36 inches long. Licensed hunting activities are exempt.
Target shooting restrictions are also in effect on the Carson Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Some restrictions apply specifically to BLM-managed land across Nevada. Fireworks, pyrotechnic or incendiary devices are prohibited year-round, as are explosives and explosive materials, including binary explosive targets. Tracer, incendiary and steel-component ammunition also cannot be used.
BLM-managed land also prohibits operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a properly installed, maintained and effective spark arresting device.
Within Washoe County’s private and county lands covered by the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, additional restrictions prohibit fires outside contained cooking devices such as barbecues, smokers and pizza ovens. Enclosed cooking devices on private property remain permitted when used in an established barbecue or campfire ring that is clear of flammable vegetation.
Open burning, including pile burning and the use of burn barrels to dispose of vegetation, also remains prohibited. The next burn season will begin when conditions allow, and the fire district announces its reopening.
The fire district has authority under the adopted fire code to extinguish fires created by prohibited activities and issue citations for violations. People who disobey, resist, or interfere with efforts to extinguish a fire, or engage in conduct likely to interfere with those efforts, could face a citation or arrest under Nevada laws.
People found responsible for starting a fire while disregarding the restrictions may also be held responsible for the total cost of fighting the fire under Nevada law.
Fire restrictions can vary depending on the jurisdiction and location. Visitors are urged to check the restrictions for their specific destination before recreating. Current restrictions, a map, and frequently asked questions are available at NevadaFireInfo.org/restrictions.
