Defensible space in South Reno (89521)

South Reno's subdivisions were laid out on open range. The houses are new and the trees are small, but the grass and sagebrush slopes beside them are still wildland, and fires in 2000, 2004 and 2011 are mapped with centres within about 6 miles.

At a glance

• About 76% of homes in ZIP 89521 built in 2000 or later
• Andrew Fire (2004, 2,693 acres) centred about 5 miles away
• Focus: evergreen screens, mulch beds and fence lines
• About 25 miles from our yard

A new house can still have an old problem

The American Community Survey puts the median home in ZIP 89521 at 2007, and only about 9% of homes date from before 1980. There are few big old trees to worry about. The fuel is what was planted when the house was built: evergreen screens along the wall, ornamental grasses, bark mulch against the stucco.

The Living With Fire guide from the University of Nevada, Reno Extension asks for the first 5 feet around a home to be free of wood mulch, junipers, sage, dead leaves and weeds. On a small lot that 5-foot strip is where most of the useful work is.

What do we do on a South Reno lot?

On a South Reno lot, we remove dense shrubs against the house, prune young trees for roof clearance, cut back plants along wooden fences, clear weeds behind the fence where allowed, and haul the debris.

• Remove junipers and other dense evergreen shrubs planted against the house
• Prune young trees so branches clear the roof and the lower limbs are lifted
• Cut back or remove plants growing through and along wooden fences
• Clear weeds and dry grass on the strip between the back fence and open land, where the owner or the association allows it
• Chip and haul the debris

Pruning a young tree for clearance is also a chance to set its structure. See tree trimming in South Reno.

Which fires are on the map near ZIP 89521?

The National Interagency Fire Center maps the Andrew Fire of 2004 at 2,693 acres, centred about 4.6 miles from the middle of the ZIP. The Arrowcreek Fire of 2000 (2,788 acres) is centred about 5 miles away, the Washoe Drive Fire of 2011 (3,178 acres) about 5.6 miles and the Davis Fire of 2024 (5,824 acres) about 7.5 miles.

There is no Forest Service record for a ZIP code. For Washoe County the Forest Service ranks risk to homes higher than 97.2% of US counties.

Who owns the open space behind the fence?

Find out before any work. In a subdivision the slope behind the lots may belong to the association, the developer, the county or a public agency. We clear only where the owner of that ground has agreed. If you sit on an association board, a single estimate for the whole perimeter is usually simpler than lot by lot. Our guide to HOA tree rules lists what to check.

How dry is it?

A gauge about 4.6 miles from the centre of the ZIP (Reno 6.8 SE) averages about 9.9 inches of precipitation a year, and the Reno-Tahoe International Airport station, the same distance away, averages a 90-degree summer high (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Irrigated yards stay green. The unirrigated hills beside them do not.