Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 22

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 22-Senators Mathews, Adler, Augustine, Coffin, Jacobsen, James, McGinness, Neal, O'Connell, O'Donnell, Porter, Raggio, Rawson, Regan, Rhoads, Schneider, Shaffer, Titus, Townsend, Washington and Wiener

March 20, 1997
____________

Read and adopted

SUMMARY--Commends fire fighters and others who worked to extinguish fire at Belli Ranch. (BDR R-496)

EXPLANATION - Matter in italics is new; matter in brackets [ ] is material to be omitted.

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION--Commending the fire fighters and others who worked to extinguish the fire at Belli Ranch.

Whereas, A fire was started by arson in the Belli Ranch area, south of Verdi, Nevada, at about 4 p.m., on Monday, August 5, 1996; and
Whereas, The fire was spread by winds of up to 30 mph, burning 6,700 acres of brush and trees, and endangering the lives and property of many Nevadans; and
Whereas, Because of problems with congestion and access for emergency vehicles, as well as dense smoke, Interstate Highway No. 80 was closed for 5 hours; and
Whereas, The fire threatened many homes from Belli Ranch to the Caughlin Ranch development, in Reno, Nevada, where flames came within one-half mile of the area; and
Whereas, Equipment used to assist fire fighters included 170 fire engines, 12 water tenders, 12 helicopters from the Nevada Division of Forestry, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Nevada Army National Guard and the Bureau of Land Management, 10 air tankers, 9 bulldozers, the Nevada Division of Forestry Sonoma field kitchen from the Silver Springs Conservation Camp, and numerous other command and support vehicles; and
Whereas, The 1,241 fire fighters from Nevada, Alaska, California, Idaho, Tennessee and Wyoming, including state forestry personnel, local volunteer and career fire departments and federal agencies, joined together to fight this potentially deadly threat to the residents of our state; and
Whereas, The magnitude of this fire was so great that the total cost to extinguish it was approximately $2,000,000; and
Whereas, The Washoe County Sheriff's Department, Nevada Highway Patrol, American Red Cross, Nevada Department of Transportation, Caltrans, Washoe County School District, Nevada Office of Emergency Services and others, were also instrumental in the fight to minimize the losses to our communities; and
Whereas, The arsonist who was responsible for this atrocity was arrested because of the joint efforts of the Nevada Division of Forestry, the United States Forest Service, the Nevada State Fire Marshal Division and the Washoe County Sheriff's Department; and
Whereas, As a result of the commitment of the fire fighters to protect life and property, not one life was lost, no serious injuries occurred and no homes were destroyed; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the Assembly Concurring, That the members of the 69th session of the Nevada Legislature commend the fire fighters for their bravery and heroic efforts in fighting the Belli Ranch fire while protecting the lives and property of the residents of our state; and be it further
Resolved, That the Nevada Legislature expresses its sincere appreciation to the Nevada Division of Forestry, Nevada Army National Guard, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Bureau of Land Management, Washoe County Sheriff's Department, Nevada Highway Patrol, Nevada Department of Transportation, Washoe County School District, Nevada Office of Emergency Services, American Red Cross, Caltrans and all others who were instrumental in the extinguishment of the fire at Belli Ranch; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and transmit a copy of this resolution to the Nevada Division of Forestry, Nevada Army National Guard, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Nevada Office of the Bureau of Land Management, Washoe County Sheriff's Department, Nevada Highway Patrol, Nevada Department of Transportation, Washoe County School District, Nevada Office of Emergency Services, American Red Cross and Caltrans.