08/09/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/09/2022 09:55
The Reno Fire Department (RFD) today announced the second year of a program to assist homeowners in protecting their homes from wildfire will wrap up on September 4, 2022.
Dumpsters for vegetation disposal will be located at the following stations:
The Reno Home Wildland Fuels Reduction Program assists homeowners bordering the wildland-urban interface communities of Reno to provide defensible space on their property. Creating defensible space is a key element critical to reducing the threat and effects of a wildland fire. The green waste dumpsters at the stations will be made available to the public until full.
If you are located in a Reno community that borders the wildland-urban interface you may qualify for a neighborhood dumpster to haul away dead vegetation and overgrowth. If available you can reserve a dumpster at no cost, but you need to hurry because the program ends on September 5.
RFD requires a neighborhood responsible to monitor that only vegetative waste is placed in the dumpster and that the dumpster is secured closed once full. The program is made possible through grants obtained from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Waste Management. The 30-yard dumpsters are delivered every Thursday and picked up every Monday.
The program dumpsters are only for disposal of "vegetative waste" or "yard debris/refuse" - plants that grow on the property. Construction materials and manmade materials are not allowed.
The purpose of this program is to give our community a tool to reduce the amount of fuel immediately surrounding your home. As we have seen with the Pinehaven and Caughlin fire, embers from a wildfire can travel a great distance before landing on combustible vegetation in your yard.
To check for dumpster availability please call our main office at (775) 334-2300. Priority is given to neighborhoods that border the Wildland Urban Interface.
The fire safety goal of landscaping and maintenance is very simple. Reduce the amount of fuel immediately surrounding your home. This does not mean your property has to be barren. Some plants are more fire resistive than others. One of the most important things a homeowner can do is to create a safety zone or fire break around the house using space and fire resistive planting.
You can reduce your chances of being a wildfire fire victim by doing the following:
The Immediate Zone is closest to your house and the most vulnerable.
The Extended Zone may even include space of more than 100 feet if you live on a steep south-facing slope.
For more information, contact the Reno Fire Department's Division of Fire Prevention at (775) 334-2300.