“Ember Awareness” event to feature a live fire “hazard house” and combustible housing materials demonstrations, exhibits, firefighting equipment, helicopters and Smokey Bear.

CARSON CITY, Nev. – It’s often not the active fire fronts in a wildfire that burn homes. Instead, it is the embers blown by wind that enter homes through vents and chimneys and accumulate under decks that cause homes to ignite.

Local government and fire-fighting agencies want to spread this warning to Nevada homeowners as part of the state’s fourth annual Wildfire Awareness Week.

The kick-off event is being held Friday, May 1, to promote awareness, understanding and action concerning Nevada’s wildfires through a coordinated, multi-organizational effort.

This year, the goal is to build awareness concerning the threat of fire starts from embers, which can burn homes not only in wildland-urban interfaces, but in urban areas as well.

WHAT: Nevada Wildfire Awareness Week kick-off event. Representatives from local, state and federal agencies will be on hand to discuss wildfire awareness followed by demonstrations of ignition sources, displays of firefighting equipment and tours of the Nevada Division of Forestry conservation plant nursery.

WHEN: Friday, May 1, at 11:00 a.m.

WHERE: Nevada Division of Forestry Western Region Office on East Lake Boulevard in Washoe Valley.

INFORMATION: For more information regarding the 2009 Nevada Wildfire Awareness Week, please visit the Living with Fire website at www.livingwithfire.info.