As of Aug. 25, 592 fires have burned 223,397 acres in Nevada this year. According to Great Basin Predictive Services, Nevada had a drier than normal winter, causing soil and vegetation to be much drier.

In response, and as part of National Preparedness Month in September, Extension’s Living With Fire Program presents the virtual workshop series, “Five Ways to Prepare Your Family and Property for Wildfire.”

“It’s easy to get overwhelmed when thinking about all the different ways to prepare for wildfire,” Christina Restaino, Extension natural resources specialist with the Living With Fire Program, said. “This workshop series aims to help residents understand simple steps they can take to get their family, home and property more prepared for fire.”

In the first session, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sept. 1, on Zoom, Tim Ghan, assistant chief insurance examiner of Property and Casualty with the Nevada Division of Insurance, will talk about the Division’s perspective on the insurance industry and wildfire. Register for the session about insurance.

“Many Nevadans live in fire-prone areas that can be unexpectedly devastated by severe damage and/or total loss to life and property when wildfire occurs,” Ghan said. “The best practice is for everyone to prepare in advance for any type of fire throughout the year. Wildfire needs special attention by homeowners and renters in not only performing mitigation efforts, but also ensuring they are adequately covered by their property insurance before wildfire occurs to prevent loss of life and property.”

All workshops are on Zoom from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays throughout the month. Other session topics include:

• Sept. 8: Register for Animal Services Disaster Preparedness, presented by Robert Wooster, field supervisor for Washoe County Regional Animal Services.
• Sept. 15: Register for Be Red Cross Ready, presented by Jill Hemenway, disaster program manager with the Northern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross.
• Sept. 22: Register for Five Steps to Creating Effective Defensible Space, presented by Megan Kay and Jamie Roice-Gomes, both with Extension’s Living With Fire Program.
• Sept. 29: Register for Retrofitting Your Home to Increase Wildfire Survival, presented by Christina Restaino, Extension natural resources specialist with the Living With Fire Program.

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