Fire Restrictions Reduced to Stage 1; Open Burning Remains Prohibited

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHOE COUNTY, NV. (October 1, 2026) — Effective Thursday, October 1, 2026, Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue (TMFR) is reducing fire restrictions from Stage 2 to Stage 1 on private and County lands.

“As wildland fire conditions continue to improve, Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue is decreasing fire restrictions from Stage 2 to Stage 1. Cooler temperatures, higher humidity, longer nights and increasing fuel moisture have helped reduce fire danger,” said Fuels and Wildfire Division Chief August Isernhagen. “While conditions are improving, wildfire risk remains, and residents should continue to use caution with anything that could start a fire. This reduction in restrictions does not tie to Red Flag Warning, or generally windy days. Despite restrictions being lifted, fires are still not permissible under those conditions,”

Open burning remains prohibited. This includes pile burning and the use of burn barrels for the disposal of vegetation. Open burning will reopen when conditions allow and the District announces the start of the next burn season.

The following acts are prohibited under Stage 1 fire restrictions until further notice:

• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire (using wood, charcoal, or any other material), campfire, or stove fire, except a portable stove using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel, outside of a developed fee campground or picnic area (except by permit)
• Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or when stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material
• Operating or parking a vehicle or other motorized equipment over or on top of dried or cured vegetation
• Welding, metal grinding, or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame (except by permit)

A barbecue on private property in an established barbecue or campfire ring, clear of flammable vegetation, is currently permitted.

As a reminder, all fireworks, tracer ammunition, and exploding targets are illegal year-round in Washoe County. Target shooting using steel-tipped ammunition is prohibited.

As these activities could create or add to a hazardous situation, in accordance with Section 307.3 of the adopted fire code, TMFR personnel have the authority to extinguish such fires on any property within the Fire District, and to issue citations for violating these restrictions as well as potential citation or arrest for disobeying, resisting, interfering, or any conduct likely to interfere with the extinguishment of the fire (NRS 475.070).

Residents must understand that if they are found responsible for starting a fire that involves their disregard for these restrictions, they may be held responsible for the total cost of fighting the fire (NRS 474.550).

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