Nevada drought dramatically raises wildfire dangers

The state experiences its fourth year of extreme drought.

On Nevada's fourth year of extreme drought, the state awaits the hot, dry, and long summer that will bring the risk of wildfires. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, three of the five Great Basin states, which are Utah, Oregon and Nevada, are in 99 percent drought status.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - The state, federal and local fire officials have informed Gov. Brian Sandoval on the dangers that could occurr during the fire season. "Fuel, drought, and weather conditions are lining up for a perfect storm, where multiple states could be having simultaneous wildfires, thus limiting availability of mutual aid resources," officials said in a report made to Sandoval.

"We can only prepare as much as we can, not knowing what is going to happen," Sandoval claimed. He said that the firefighters are ready with a lot of collaboration from other groups, and they also have good equipment.

Fire restrictions will be effective by May 15.

"There are not enough government resources to protect everybody," explained Nevada State Forester Bob Roper. He noted that firefighting requires the homeowners' commitment, as well.

In 1999, nearly 1.9 million acres burned in Nevada during a wildfire. Acreage in the wildfire zone during the current drought is not as big as it was in 1999. 162,841 acres burned in 2013, and 59,252 acres burned in 2014.

The most significant wildfire in Southern Nevada happened in 2013, where firefighters battled the Carpenter 1 fire. During that July 2013 fire, around 30,000 acres of the Mount Charleston area got burned. This year, the Mount Charleston area is at a high risk again for wildfires.

According to officials, in the last four years, Western Nevada missed out on as much as two years' worth of precipitation; the precipitation levels were very low and almost equivalent to having no precipitation at all. For most of Nevada, the winter season during 2014 and 2015 was noted as the warmest since 1895.

Wildfires threaten businesses, homes and the state's project to protect the habitats of the sage-grouse, found in 17 million acres of Nevada. If the birds' habitats gets caught in a wildfire, the invasive weeds will take over, crowding out the sagebrush, which the sage grouse need to be alive.

The Bureau of Land Management's Deputy Director Steve Ellis, and Director Neil Kornze will be having meetings with stakeholders and local officials in Utah and Nevada to address the states' drought problem and to continue to exert efforts and make collaborations to prepare and coordinate people in preparation for the coming wildfire season.

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