The inherent dangers of having so many homes located in such dangerous terrain prompted University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Living With Fire program six years ago to sponsor the first

The annual Nevada Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Summit is Oct. 1-2 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno.

It will give homeowners and firefighters a chance to compare notes, plan strategy and discuss in detail what they need to do to protect their neighborhoods from fire.

Research indicates that pre-fire activities performed by the homeowner – such as creating defensible space, removing pine needles from rain gutters, replacing wood shake roofs and screening vents – can significantly improve house survivability during wildfire.

The summit is an opportunity for homeowners to learn what they can do. The event is free, but participants need to register by going online.

A highlight of this year’s program will be a review of the Caughlin Fire from the eyewitness accounts of homeowners and firefighters. This discussion will be led by North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Fire Chief and Caughlin Fire Incident Commander Mike Brown.