Defensible space in Northwest Reno and Somersett (89523)

ZIP 89523 is one of the newest parts of Reno. About 5% of its homes were built before 1980, and almost half were built in 2000 or later, many of them on benches and ridgelines above the Truckee River canyon.

At a glance

• Verdi Fire (2006, 5,662 acres) centred about 2.4 miles away
• Middle of the ZIP at about 5,432 feet
• 32 fire perimeter records of 300+ acres within about 10 miles
• Work concentrated on slopes below the back fence

Why does the slope behind the house matter?

Flames lean uphill and preheat what is above them, so a house at the top of a slope gets fire sooner and hotter than one on flat ground. On a ridge-top lot the vegetation that matters most is on the downhill side, often just past the back fence.

The work there is to break the fuel up: mow or cut grass and weeds, thin sagebrush and bitterbrush into separated clumps and remove anything dead. Whether the Bobcat can do it or it has to be hand work depends on the grade, and the arborist decides that on site.

What is close on the fire map?

National Interagency Fire Center perimeters show the Verdi Fire of 2006, 5,662 acres, centred about 2.4 miles from the middle of the ZIP. The Belli Ranch Fire of 1996 (6,724 acres) is centred about 4 miles away, the Mitchell Canyon Fire of 1984 (9,469 acres) about 6.9 miles and the Crystal Fire of 1994 (7,392 acres) about 7.5 miles. There are 32 perimeter records of 300 acres or more within about 10 miles.

For the city as a whole the Forest Service ranks risk to homes higher than 97.7% of US communities. It publishes no figure for a single ZIP.

What about the yard itself?

The trees in this ZIP are mostly young, planted with the houses. They need little fire work beyond keeping branches off the roof and lower limbs lifted. The shrubs are another matter. Evergreen shrubs along the foundation and under windows sit in the 5-foot zone the Living With Fire guide wants kept free of junipers, sage, wood mulch and dead material.

• Foundation evergreens removed
• Dead plants and dry leaves cleared from beds, corners and under decks
• Tree limbs pruned clear of the roof
• Fence-line growth cut back

Who decides on the open space?

The owner of it. In master-planned communities the slopes and trails between neighborhoods usually belong to an association or another owner, and we work there only at that owner's request. Homeowners can ask their board what fuel work is scheduled. Boards and managers can request an estimate for a whole perimeter. See HOA tree rules: what to check first.

A little wetter than the valley floor

The Reno 3.9 W gauge, about a third of a mile from the centre of the ZIP at 5,151 feet, averages about 10.9 inches of precipitation a year, against 7.35 inches at the airport (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). More moisture grows more grass on the slopes, which then dries in summer. Plan on a yearly check of the downhill side.