RGJ editorial -- fire and houses

Editorial
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 7/20/2007

Having witnessed the destruction of more than 250 homes in the Lake Tahoe Basin by a devastating wildfire in late June, we know that this week's Hawken Fire in the Truckee Meadows could have been much, much worse.

As firefighters worked to control the fire in the hills west of Reno on Thursday, there was relief that no homes were lost and there were no significant injuries despite the high winds that buffeted the area for much of the week.

It would have taken only one change in wind direction to send the fire into some of the Truckee Meadows' most expensive neighborhoods. Instead, the fire turned back on itself. That, along with colder night temperatures, helped firefighters gain the upper hand.

Yet, this latest fire along the Sierra Front again raises questions about the continuing movement of residential development into areas that are prone to fires and difficult to protect because of the steep terrain.

Homes in what is called the wildland-urban interface are some of the most prized, not only in the Reno-Sparks area but also in many other regions of the country. They're also the most likely to be in danger until a wildfire is extinguished. The Arrowcreek Fire in 2000 raised the same questions as it raged along what was then the western edge of development in this valley and damaged a half-dozen homes. Residents of Colorado asked them again a couple of years ago when fire swept along the edge of the Rocky Mountains, destroying numerous homes in its path.

The Hawken Fire raised an additional concern about construction in the wildland. It was believed to have been accidentally started by a worker on a construction site (a similar accident at a subdivision on the valley floor would do far less damage), which convinced the governor and county officials to ask for a halt to construction activities. It's absolutely critical that the request be heeded, given the extremely dangerous conditions throughout this region.

It's equally important that state, county and city officials take a tough look at long-range plans, however. Every time there's a fire like this, there's a lot of hand-wringing about building along the edges of and even into the wilderness. Yet, it's not long until the next round of construction begins, taking residents higher and deeper into the wilderness and creating new dangers.

It's not simply a matter of people living where they want to live. These fires exact a huge toll on the public treasury and endanger the lives of the many firefighters who rush to the area to protect residences.

At some point, we are going to have to take the issues raised by wildland fires seriously. Wouldn't it make sense to do it now, before it's too late?