Sunny, warm weather is a boon to everyone who enjoys the great outdoors, but it also increases the chances of our ever present summer peril - wildfires. Despite a wet June and moderate temperatures, fire danger conditions are developing quickly in the Reno / Tahoe region. Once the rains stop, it's quite amazing how fast things dry out. According to local weather guy Mike Alger, last Tuesday the relative humidity a few hundred feet up was 2%. It can't get much dryer than that. Such dry air literally sucks the water out of the ground, creating a whole region of wildfires just waiting to happen.

Many fires are started by lightning strikes from thunderstorms, which we can't do anything about. We can, however, avoid doing stupid stuff like grinding metal in a bunch of dry vegetation or building illegal campfires in hazardous areas. Both of these activities sparked disastrous wildfires that destroyed beautiful forests and hundreds of homes (Hawken Fire near Reno and Angora Fire at Lake Tahoe).

The best defense is an active offense. My Reno / Tahoe Wildfire Safety article has good information about preventing fires and what to do if a wildfire is threatening your area.

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The American Century Celebrity Golf Championship is from July 14 through July 19, at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, Highway 50 at Lake Parkway, South Lake Tahoe, NV. The tournament features big cash prizes for the players, but its real purpose is to support charities like the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Over 80 celebrities and sports stars are scheduled to play in the 2009 American Century Celebrity Golf Championship. A few of those you might see include Michael Jordan, John Elway, Wayne Gretzky, Oliver Hudson, Mike Eruzione, Charles Barkley, Marcus Allen, Bode Miller, Dan Quayle, Jerry Rice, and many, many more. The forecast is for excellent weather up at Lake Tahoe, making this a great event for star gazing.

Tickets are available online or at the gate. They are $15 for practice rounds and the Lake Tahoe Celeb-Am Tournament. It's $25 for the Celebrity Golf Championship from Friday through Sunday. Up to two children 10 and under are free with a paying adult. The number of gallery tickets sold per day is limited.

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Controlled Burn is a Reno fire dancing group that performs at various events throughout the area. During Artown, Controlled Burn is performing Fire Jam! at 9 p.m. every Tuesday evening in The Celtic Forest art installation, corner of Sierra St. and the Truckee River. The Book of the Raven and surrounding Treelabras will be flaming in the night sky to accompany the dancers. The Celtic Forest was at Burning Man 2008.

The next Fire Jam! will be on July 14. Check out my video clips for a look at Controlled Burn doing their thing in The Celtic Forest...

• Controlled Burn 1
• Controlled Burn 2
• Controlled Burn 3
• Controlled Burn 4

For a look at other Artown performances, check out the Artown pictures gallery.

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July dates for "Fresh Air, New Ideas" have been announced. These walks are your chance to talk personally with two of Reno's City Council members in the relaxed, informal setting of a one hour stroll. The idea of meeting with Reno residents and talking about their concerns, away from the stifling confines of government offices, was started by councilwomen Jessica Sferrazza and Sharon Zadra. There is no agenda - you can discuss any topic you choose.

• July 13 at noon - Manzanita Park, Manzanita Street, east of Lakeside Drive.
• July 20 at noon - Miguel Ribera Park, 3925 Neil Road.
• July 27 at noon - Wingfield Park (Muni Band will be playing), First Street and Arlington Avenue, meet at the foot bridge.

For more information, call Reno Direct at (775) 334-INFO.

Source: City of Reno press release.

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