With 657 fires having burned 235,496 acres in Nevada so far this year, and wildfires continuing to threaten homes and lives across the West, University of Nevada, Reno Extension’s Living With Fire Program continues its virtual workshop series, “Five Ways to Prepare Your Family and Property for Wildfire.”

Next week’s session, “Steps to Creating Effective Defensible Space,” is 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sept. 22, on Zoom. Megan Kay and Jamie Roice-Gomes manager with University of Nevada, Reno Extension’s Living With Fire Program will give tips on how to maintain the space around your home in a way that will improve the chances of it surviving a wildfire, including what to plant and what not plant, how to maintain your vegetation, what other materials to avoid having near your home, and more. Register online for this Sept. 22 session.

“Having a proper defensible space around your home reduces the wildfire threat and gives firefighters a better chance to safely defend your home,” said Roice-Gomes, Living With Fire Program manager. “Making sure we have appropriate defensible space is something we can all do to help protect our homes and families, as well as the safety of the firefighters who put their lives on the line for us year-round.”

The final session of the workshop series will be 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Sept. 29, on Zoom, “Retrofitting Your Home to Increase Wildfire Survival,” presented by Christina Restaino, Extension natural resources specialist with the Living With Fire Program. Register online for this Sept. 29 session.

The series, offered in September as part of National Preparedness month, is part of the Living With Fire Program’s ongoing efforts to provide research-based information on how to live more safely in high wildfire-hazard environments, ultimately helping to save lives, property and homes. Since its inception in 1997, the program has received numerous regional and national awards, and its information has been used in 26 states and 25 countries.

“Wildfire is a worldwide issue, and unfortunately, it is hitting very close to home these days,” Restaino said. “This program, including these workshops, provide simple tips on what homeowners can do to prepare for wildfires.”

For more information about the workshop series or Extension’s Living With Fire Program, email Roice-Gomes.