Governor Joe Lombardo hosts wildfire briefing for Nevada

Nevada fire officials are warning that the state could be headed for a challenging wildfire season as warmer months approach, with abundant fuels and a lack of snowpack raising concerns about large-scale fires in 2026.

Governor Joe Lombardo received a briefing from the Nevada Division of Forestry, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management on the state’s potential for a large-scale fire in 2026.

State Forester Firewarden Ryan Shane said conditions are lining up for a difficult year. “2026 is going to prove to be challenging,” Shane said.

While fire activity in 2025 was described as fairly mild across northern Nevada, Shane said other parts of the state saw significant impacts. “2025 last year was the heaviest fire year we've had in the last five, just about 457,000 acres burned, which is slightly above our 20 year rolling average,” Shane said. He added that “the acreage burned was largely in the northeastern Nevada.”

Officials said about 579 fires burned in 2025, with more than 300 of those caused by humans.

Looking ahead to 2026, Shane said fuels are abundant across the region, especially in northern Nevada, as drought conditions begin to take hold. “This is the first year of the onset of the drought cycle. And we have a lot of carryover fuels from previous years, as well as the fuels that have grown this year. We have a lack of snowpack in the upper elevations,” Shane said.

The Nevada Division of Forestry, the U.S. Forest Service and the BLM coordinate with the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, which helps agencies plan for fires and allocate resources when needed.

Jim Wallmann, a meteorologist with the National Interagency Coordination Center, said earlier in May that low Sierra snowpack is one of the biggest factors in this year’s fire activity. “They're going to cure out generally earlier and then all the leftover grass in northern Nevada that we have from the last couple years as well and whatever little growth we get from this year will only add to it,” Wallmann said.

Shane said interagency agreements and help from local communities can make a major difference during fire season, urging people to be prepared when outdoors. “If you're out and about, make sure you carry a shovel, some water, possibly a fire extinguisher, and a way to communicate and report a fire if you see one or cause one,” Shane said.

The U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Nevada Division of Forestry are working around the clock to mitigate fuels. Officials also pointed to resilient landscaping, fire-adapted communities, and safe and effective fire response efforts as key to keeping Nevada more fire-ready in 2026.
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Видео Governor Joe Lombardo hosts wildfire briefing for Nevada канала News 4 Reno