Long, hot fire season on its way

Memorial Day weekend's misty weather only obscures the fact that we are

headed into a long and potentially dangerous fire season.

Damp weather now will aid in the growth of cheat grass and other starter

fuels that come July and August will be ready to ignite a forest fire.

Last summer's Angora fire was an example of how much damage a wildland fire

can do. Fortunately, no one was killed in the fire that destroyed 250 homes

and 3,100 acres in South Lake Tahoe.

Carson Valley has been relatively lucky over the last 12 years since the

Autumn Hills fire claimed four homes near Kingsbury Grade.

Most of the really big fires have hit regions around us, ranging from

Antelope Valley to Carson City.

But that doesn't mean that our turn isn't coming.

Fortunately, Douglas County residents aren't sitting around waiting for the

worst to occur.

Many residents of the interface where civilization meets the wild have

banded together to remove the danger to their lives and property.

Firefighting organizations from around the Sierra Front are coordinating

plans for responding to large fires.

Whether the source of ignition is lightning or human carelessness, we will

have fires this summer and fall.

The damage they do, however, is in some ways up to us.