All outdoor recreational and cooking fires are prohibited in the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District service area until further notice due to elevated wildfire risks, according to a statement the district put out Monday.
The policy is being adopted in accordance with the fire code. This applies to recreational appliances, including charcoal briquettes and any outdoor wood fires, including campfires. Exceptions are being made for the residential use of propane, electric and pellet fueled barbecues.
Because recreational and cooking fires could create or add to a hazardous situation, fire protection district personnel have authority to extinguish such fires on any property within its jurisdiction. This is permitted by the adopted fire code and a necessary step due to the unseasonable heat and dryness of the wild land fuels in our region, according to the district.
“We aren’t even halfway through the fire season, and we’ve already seen several devastating wildfires in the region and neighboring states of California and Oregon and we must take immediate action to decrease the possibility of wildfires in unincorporated Washoe County,” Deputy Fire Chief Dale Way said in a statement.
For information or questions on the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District service area boundaries, visit https://tmfpd.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/coverage-map.pdf or call 775-326-6000.
