The Bureau of Land Management’s Carson City District urges awareness of the increased chance of wildfire due to record-low precipitation and windy conditions.
“Wildfires can happen year-round,” said Shane McDonald, BLM Fire Management Officer. “The Washoe Drive Fire, which destroyed homes and forced evacuations, started in January.”
McDonald encourages the public to be careful in regards to human-caused fires and take appropriate steps to prevent them. In situations such as the anticipated high wind days, the BLM and other fire-fighting agencies rely heavily on the public to make sensible decisions in regards to fire on public and private land.
Following are safety tips for disposing ashes from a fireplace or wood stove:
Dispose of wood ashes in a metal container that can be tightly closed, douse with water, place the closed container outside your home away from combustible materials and leave in the container for several days before disposing of them.
Teach other family members about the dangers associated with hot ash disposal.
Be careful with ashes around areas not considered as combustible during wetter times such as mulched flower beds and lawns that are drought-stricken.
Do not place hot ashes in a dumpster where there are certainly other combustible materials.
Do not dispose of ashes in paper, plastic or cardboard containers.
Do not assume the ashes are cold and pour them onto the ground (even into a hole) where leaves can blow on them or the wind can stir up sparks.
For more information, call Lisa Ross at 775-885-6107.
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