RENO, Nev. — October often brings shorter days, cooler nights and a gradual slowdown in wildfire activity. But a new federal outlook shows the ingredients for a significant fire remain in place across the Sierra Front and adjacent Lahontan Basin, including the Reno-Sparks area.
The National Interagency Fire Center’s October outlook places the area at above-normal significant wildland fire potential. That does not mean a major fire is certain, but it does mean there is a greater-than-usual chance that conditions could support one.
“Above normal actually means that there is a better chance of getting what we term a large fire, something that’s over 100 acres during this time span,” said Basil Newmerzhycky, lead meteorologist of predictive services at the Great Basin Coordination Center…