Clark County Fire Fighting Crews Get Ready As Mojave Blaze Comes Our Way

You may notice the smoky, hazy skies over the Las Vegas valley recently. These conditions are due to a wildfire burning thousands of acres of dry brush and vegetation in the Mojave National Preserve.

Officials first became aware of the York Fire in the Mojave National Preserve on Friday. Since then, it has burned through 70,000 acres, and has now crossed into Nevada. At this point, Clark County firefighting crews standby to help protect residents who may be affected by this blaze. So far, as of 7 p.m. Sunday, there are no official evacuation orders in California or Nevada.

By and large, this desert landscape is usually very dry and does not have much vegetation. However, all those heavy rains in California this past winter and spring brought explosive growth of desert grasses. Subsequently, these desert grasses are now dry, and they become ample fuel for wildfire. That’s according to an article on LATimes.com by Taryn Luna and Louis Sahagún.

Now that the York fire has crossed over into Nevada, Clark County firefighting crews prepare to battle this blaze. Weather conditions are making it very difficult to contain the Mojave National Preserve fire. In fact, it is 0% contained as of 7 p.m. Sunday. In reality, gusty winds are causing “fire whirls” or “fire tornadoes.”  In short, per the LATimes.com article, these phenomena act as “spinning vortexes of flame and smoke.”

At this time, the Clark County Fire Department is setting up mobile command posts near the Searchlight and Nipton communities. According to an article by Shawna Khalafi on Fox5Vegas.com, officials say the fire is still many miles away from residential areas.

There are currently more than 200 personnel battling this blaze. These firefighters come from various agencies including the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, and our own Clark County Fire Department.

Americans like things that go BOOM - but our pet's safety is a big concern on the 4th of July!

Fireworks displays are beautiful in Las Vegas -  but there are are some who are less enthusiastic about all the pomp and circumstance: Pets. Fireworks often frighten our pets and lead to a spike in runaways this time of year.

With each boom, pop, and sizzle, of that beautiful display, your dog or cat may shake, cower, or even run away from the shock and stress of it all. It can really be a scary day for  animals. Owners may think their pets will be fine, but it’s best to be prepared.

Animal control officials nationwide expect to take in 30% to 60% more pets than normal between July 4 and July 6, according to the online lost-pet finder system PetAmberAlert.com.

“It’s no myth that fireworks startle pets,” Emily Weiss, vice president of research and development at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, told TODAY.com. She also that 1 in 5 lost pets goes missing from being scared by the sound of those loud noises.

Because canine hearing is sensitive — they actually hear about four times better than humans, and can tune in to a larger range of frequencies — fireworks can be particularly disturbing to dogs. They also use 18 muscles to facilitate “all around” movement of the ears.

Pet-loss experts recommend that all animals — in addition to being microchipped — wear collars and tags with a name and phone number. Owners should be prepared with a current frontal photo of their pet to share on fliers and social media in case of loss.

Even in a gated and fenced yards, a scared dog can jump a fence or dig and crawl under it. Fourth of July activities take place all day - all week -  long, so maybe don’t bring dogs to barbecues or pool parties.

The ASPCA offers a free mobile pet safety app for lost pets, disaster prep and emergency alerts. You can even build a lost pet digital flyer that can be shared instantly on your social media channels.

Here are more tips for keeping your furry family members safe.

Take your dog for a long walk before festivities begin to tire and calm them. Mental games mellow them out when fireworks start popping.

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Redirect your pets attention by throwing their favorite ball so they associates noises with something positive, like playing.

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If your dog runs and hides, don’t force them to get used to the sounds. It could aggravate them or incite aggressive behavior.

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 ThunderShirts are great! They are anxiety vests that safely provide a calming, snug fit to relax your canine during storms, or fireworks.

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You really already have a “panic room,” like your master bedroom with all your cat’s belongings, including cat condos, etc. - called scent soakers. Cats transfer their scents to the soakers, like fleece beds or rugs, that feel like “home.”

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You wouldn’t dare let your cat outside during this time, so control the environment and don’t let them roam around the house. Turn on a low level of “hum,” like TV or news, to drown out the sounds outside.

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Cats like small spaces, but they lose confidence when they make themselves smaller to “shrink” into an enclosed space because they’re scared, Offer alternative places to burrow like cat beds, cocoons or a blanket folded into a doughnut-like shape.

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Try Spirit Essences - these are holistic flower essence remedies developed by a veterinarian that include “Stress Stopper” and “Scaredy Cat” formulas for anxiety and fear.

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Larry Martino is the long-time afternoon drive personality on 96.3 KKLZ. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of Larry Martino and not necessarily those of Beasley Media Group, LLC.

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