Nevada Division of Forestry reports lower acreage burned in 2024, pushes shared-stewardship expansion
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Summary
State Forester Casey Casey told the Assembly Natural Resources Committee Nevada had a below-average fire year in 2024, highlighted staffing gains after inmate camp program losses, and said the state aims to expand shared-stewardship treatments across 13 priority landscapes.
State Forester Fire Warden Casey Casey told the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources on Feb. 10 that Nevada’s 2024 wildfire season was below the state’s 30‑year average and that the Division of Forestry (NDF) is pushing to scale up planned treatments through its shared‑stewardship partnerships.
Casey said the division recorded about 103,000 burn acres in 2024 versus a 30‑year average of roughly 450,000 acres, 760 fire starts, and an initial attack success rate of 97 percent. He told the committee NDF received six Federal Emergency Management Agency Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG) for large incidents and delivered an estimated 269,000 gallons of water via state and contracted aircraft.
The presentation emphasized staffing and program changes since 2023. Casey said vacancy rates fell from about 22 percent to 13 percent in one year and that the agency converted 34 former inmate‑camp positions into 42 firefighter positions; those crews were reported 76 percent staffed at the hearing. He said vacancies remain mainly in higher‑level firefighter‑II positions in rural locations.
Why this matters: Casey framed the workforce and partnership gains as necessary to sustain initial attack capacity and increase fuels‑reduction work. He described the shared‑stewardship agreement as a multi‑agency effort that has stood up seven of 13 defined priority landscapes and brought approximately $117,000,000 in federal investment into those landscapes over the first five years.
Supporting details included program metrics and constraints. Casey said the seven active landscapes reported more than 390,000 acres treated over five years, and the current five‑year plans for those landscapes show roughly $64,000,000 more work identified. He said NDF expects to treat about 190,000 acres in the seven active landscapes in the most recent year, roughly 70,000 acres more than the prior year.
On causes and prevention, Casey said about two‑thirds of last year’s ignitions were human caused and that the division targets prevention messaging to trends such as target shooting and illegal campfires. He said the division is working with the U.S. Forest Service on a joint ‘‘fire use’’ crew that managed the Broom Canyon fire near Ely for nearly 80 days to meet resource objectives.
Committee members asked about local participation in NDF programs, tribal partnerships, and equipment transfers. Casey said nearly all local governments participate in the Wildland Fire Protection Program (only Boulder City and North Las Vegas were not participating at the time of the hearing) and described programs that transfer excess vehicles, radios and other equipment to tribes and local partners. He said NDF screens and refurbishes excess federal equipment when possible and recently provided water tenders and engines to some tribal entities.
Ending: Casey closed by saying fuel moisture, precipitation and snowpack remain uncertain and will affect the coming season; he urged continued investment in staff, treatment capacity and interagency coordination.
