Defensible space and fire mitigation in Lemmon Valley, NV

Lemmon Valley is a long-settled community north of Reno at about 4,950 feet. More than half of its homes were built before 1980, nearly all are owner-occupied, and about 45% of its buildings are in the direct exposure zone.

At a glance

• Risk to homes higher than 99.2% of US communities
• About 45% of buildings in the direct exposure zone
• About 9% of households heat mainly with wood
• Poeville Road and Reservoir fires centred about 3.7 miles away

How does Lemmon Valley compare?

Lemmon Valley ranks above Washoe County on every measure in the table, including home risk (99.2 against 97.2) and buildings directly exposed (45.3% against 16.3%).

Both the chance of fire and the consequence for homes rank near the top nationally. Close to half of the community's roughly 3,000 buildings stand beside vegetation that could carry flame to them.

Forty-year-old trees need lifting and cleaning

The median home dates from 1979 (American Community Survey; a small community, so the figure is approximate). Trees planted then are full grown. On a fire plan they get three things: lower limbs lifted so ground fire cannot climb, dead wood removed from the crown, and branches cleared from the roof.

Dead trees come out entirely. If one stands over a house or shop, the arborist chooses the method. Our crane vs climbing vs bucket truck guide explains the options.

Where should the woodpile go?

About 9% of Lemmon Valley households heat mainly with wood, far above the Washoe County share of about 1%. A woodpile on the porch is handy in January and a liability in August. The Living With Fire guide lists woodpiles first among the things to remove from the 5 feet next to a home.

Moving the stack is the owner's job. Clearing the weeds and brush around its new spot can go on our estimate. For stacking, see how to season and stack firewood.

Brush on the back of the lot

Where a property has unused ground in sagebrush, the Bobcat T870 with the brush mower or masticating head is the efficient way to reduce it. Fences, animals, wells and septic fields all need to be pointed out before the machine starts, so walk the ground with the arborist. More on lot clearing and brush mowing in Lemmon Valley.

Fires on the map

The National Interagency Fire Center maps the Poeville Road Fire of 2020 at 2,973 acres and the Reservoir Fire of 1999 at 6,163 acres, each centred about 3.7 miles from the middle of the community. The Red Rock Fire of 1999 (7,015 acres) and the Mitchell Canyon Fire of 1984 (9,469 acres) are farther out. A gauge 1.5 miles away (Reno 5.3 N) averages about 10.1 inches of precipitation a year.