As the Caldor Fire continues to burn in California, officials near the state line in Nevada are taking proactive steps in case the fire creeps closer. The state’s governor took a trip to see the results of those efforts on Friday.
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak stepped over freshly dug dirt and the roots of sagebrush that were dragged out of the ground. This is what was seen for several miles along a road in Gardnerville, and it’s called a fuel break. If the blaze were to make its way there, the absence of vegetation could prevent the fire from spreading.
“There’s only so much we can do with wildfire. I mean, some of it is not preventable. You know, whether it’s a lightning strike, or there’s some industrial situations that happen, but there are certain things that we can do,” Sisolak said.
Funding for this stemmed from a 2019 law that appropriated money to assist with battling wildfires — before and after they burn.
Lucia Starbuck is a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.