Adam RasmussenChannel 2 News
The possibility of a major fire in Virginia City is on the minds of officials, who say many of the city's historic homes and buildings aren't meeting fire codes.
With so many Virginia City buildings dating back to the 1860's, officials are concerned homeowners and building owners aren't truly aware of the dangers.
Of course, the Virginia City fire in 1875 destroyed over 70 percent of the community. Officials say they just want people to know how easy those old homes can still catch fire.
"A lot of these structures have been added onto over the years," said Storey County Emergency Management Director Joe Curtis.
That's where most of the problems and concerns begin. Curtis says that's because over the years, people have added double or even triple ceilings, meaning flames and smoke can get trapped in that open space between them.
Many have also added extra layers of roofing, so that roof would collapse faster and much heavier. The biggest concern though, is old brick chimneys people still use without putting a metal sleeve all the way through it.
Add in how dry our Nevada heat is, and those historic homes go up in a blaze.
"That wood has dried out to such a point, and it burns so fast," says Curtis.
He says so many residential homes in Virginia City are in dangerous shape because building codes weren't created or enforced until the 1980s. Most people don't realize the dangers, and fire officials can't force them to make changes.
"You can certainly make suggestions, but there's really no mechanism to say you must fix this in this residence," says Curtis.
Buildings in the downtown area face the same issues. Curtis and Storey County Fire Chief Gary Hames show us one building up for sale facing major hazards.
It has sagging balconies, multiple ceilings and a propane tank that would cause problems if the building caught fire.
"This would be an extremely difficult fire to fight," says Hames. "Again, this is one of the 1800's buildings. So inside, there's been remodels done over and over and over again. So, it becomes chopped up and you have void spaces that are hard to find."
So, what does one of these old style buildings with no fire hazards look like? Well, Curtis shows us his. There's no holes in the ceiling, meaning the flames can't spread. He says the best thing people can do is add sheet rock to the old wood buildings.
"Insulation, sheet rock," he says. "And then, metal over that."
Another updated building is The Delta Saloon. They say everyone, especially business owners, need to upgrade their buildings.
"Business owners who have been here for a while are very aware that to keep their insurance costs down and to keep their safety levels up when dealing with the public, you must have that in mind," says Supervisor Candee Silveria.
Even though many business owners are aware of the dangers, Curtis says there is always a fear that a fire could inflict a lot of damage to Virginia City like it did in 1875.
"How do you stop it? Particularly if the wind is blowing as we know it does in Nevada."
