A variety of contributing factors and elements can cause fires to instantly spread fast.
A Red Flag Warning is issued for a combination of low humidity, strong winds and high temperatures.
This further creates dry fuels with increasing flammability from dry fuels like grasses, shrubs and needles and can spread flames and embers rapidly. This can bring dangerous, fast-moving wildfires, especially if a spark is set off.Â
Even a small fire can spread rapidly and unpredictably. In short: Be mindful of outdoor burning, campfires, and spark-producing tools.
Sharing protocol and how to avoid massive fire disasters, Battalion Chief Shaun Grady with the Reno Fire Department says, "So people being mindful of fire safety, with common sense. Recognizing that even simple as a spark in dry brush with single digit humidities can spark a wildfire."
Mother nature is a powerful force to be reckoned with. We heard first-hand how one man's off-road adventure quickly took a turn for the worst when his ATV went up in flames - he narrowly escaped death with his daughter. Â
Mark Levrett, a Sparks resident, says, "We went out and we got a flat tire. And then we had a spare tire on the car and a friend changed the spare tire. The spare tire strap fell down on to the exhaust. He didn't see it, we didn't see it - we took off and drove and the strap caught on fire."
"Smoke started coming through the radiator into the cockpit of the car, and I told my daughter, I says, 'I think we're on fire - we need to get out,' but the temperature gauge was 270 and the car went into what they call limp mode," concluded Levrett.
Fire experts stress that as our summer months heat up, neighbors need to make wise choices and stay alert to the winds at your location and plan ahead with emergency items to bring, which can help save your life in all situations.
