Public health emergency declared for Reno, Sparks and Washoe County after fires
Tue, September 1, 2026 at 8:05 PM
UpdatedTue, September 1, 2026 at 8:05 PM
Northern Nevada Public Health (News4/FOX11)
Northern Nevada Public Health has declared a local public health emergency for Reno, Sparks and Washoe County after the Bug, Hawk and Stallion fires, warning residents not to remove debris, ash or other hazardous materials from fire-damaged homes
The emergency declaration was issued Aug. 28. Officials said burned household materials can create dangerous conditions for people returning to damaged properties
“When there’s a fire, many of the chemicals inside our homes get condensed down and it becomes kind of a toxic environment,” said Dr. Chad Kingsley, district health officer for Northern Nevada Public Health. “So we first want to ensure the safety of individuals that have lost their homes, that they further aren’t exposed to any toxicity or any chemicals that are part of the burned homes.”
Beyond ash from wildfire smoke, Kingsley pointed to common household items that can become hazardous after a fire, including plastics and lithium batteries
“It depends on the substance and different points of what’s inside of a home,” Kingsley said. “But you have all those different chemicals, batteries, those things that we keep in our home that suddenly are condensed down and they can become carcinogenic, which means they can be cancer causing. They become toxic, just inhaling them, so those points they can cause irritation and health issues.”
Kingsley said this is the first time Northern Nevada Public Health has declared a public health emergency following wildfires. He said the decision was driven by the number of homes lost and the need to assess whether there is enough staffing capacity to respond, including coordination that could involve state or federal government
“It’s the number of homes that are lost,” Kingsley said. “So we’ve seen some small structures that are lost but when a structure when a larger amount is that can involve the state or the federal government in which we need to assess do we have the correct staffing capacity to be able to respond.”
Washoe County, the city of Reno, Northern Nevada Public Health and the state are working under FEMA guidance to create a plan for safely removing fire debris
“Before any large scale cleanup begins, the local, state, and federal partners need to identify the types of debris and hazardous material present, and then determine the roles and responsibilities, establish approved collection and disposal methods, and then develop procedures for safely removing, transporting, monitoring, and documenting the debris,” said Shea Slone, the state disaster recovery coordinator with the Nevada Division of Emergency Management
Officials also warned there could be consequences for residents who remove debris before that process is in place, including impacts to potential federal assistance
“If debris is removed before it can be properly assessed, documented and handled under an approved process, it could affect eligibility for potential federal debris removal assistance,” Slone said
Slone said federal reimbursement also depends on meeting program requirements
“It would also require specific documentation, monitoring, environmental and historic preservation review, and approved disposal processes so eligible costs can be considered for federal reimbursement,” Slone said. “That federal assistance would not automatically cover every cost or every property. So eligibility and program requirements would still need to be followed.”
Kingsley said the length of the emergency declaration will depend on continued coordination with partner agencies
“We will have continued following up with Washoe County as well as state emergency management,” Kingsley said. “And so we’ll follow for the declaration be there as long as it’s needed.”
Email reporter Anthony Ramos at aramos@sbgtv.com. Follow @antramosnews on X and Anthony Ramos on Facebook
