Paul Richards is with the Green Ranch Home Owners Association, he says a little while back, he and his wife noticed how overgrown the greenspace was next to their house. If a fire started in there, it would be a domino effect.

"Our house is vulnerable, but we are a town home community, so if ours goes up so does our next door neighbors."

Experts say this area along Evans Creek would look very similar to the Oxbow fire last May. And that's what Richards and his neighbors are trying to avoid.

With the help of the Nevada Fire Safe Council Richards is meeting with the experts in fire management to find out what he and his neighbors can do to this nearly 20-acre plot to supress fire activity should one start here.

Andrew List from the Nevada Fire Safe Counci says this approach empowers homeowners who will be more likely to follow through with suggestions and help keep their neighborhood safe.

" We encourage people to go out and take care of their own years and around their homes. But we also with the grant money can hire crews to come in."

List says the Green Ranch Home Owners Association is the 100th Community Chapter to join the council.
Depending upon the game plan here, grants can be used to help pay for the cleanup effort as well as maintaining the area to keep the threat of wild fire at bay.