Homeowners Associations Meet Over Fire Evacuation Concerns — But More Finger-Pointing Than Progress

Two slides from the Tuesday presentation.

In the wake of last year's Davis Fire, which scorched parts of Washoe County in September 2024, a group of local homeowners associations (HOAs) convened on Tuesday at the Club at Arrowcreek for a Homeowner Association’s Community Communication & Collaboration meeting to discuss fire prevention and evacuation concerns. However, rather than outlining clear solutions or proactive measures, the session revealed a troubling trend: more blame-shifting than actual problem-solving.

One of the key issues raised was the ability of residents to safely evacuate during future emergencies. This is a legitimate concern in a region where many communities are nestled in wildfire-prone foothills with limited ingress and egress routes. Yet instead of using the meeting to advance preparedness or infrastructure improvements, several HOA representatives appeared more focused on criticizing others.

In particular, a slide presented by the HOAs directly called out the District 2 Citizen Advisory Board (CAB) for allegedly failing to reach out to the HOAs following the Davis Fire. The claim sparked confusion — and frustration — among observers who pointed out that it is not the responsibility of CABs to chase down HOA boards. CABs operate as public forums and rely on participation from community members, including HOA representatives, who are welcome to attend, submit agenda requests, or provide public comment at any time.

“This idea that CABs should have sent personal invitations to HOA managers is simply not how public government works,” said one former CAB member who attended the meeting. “All agendas and meetings are publicly posted. The information is available — you just have to look for it.”

Critics argue that the HOAs’ approach reflects a troubling sense of entitlement, with some HOA managers seeming to expect special treatment due to the high property values of the communities they represent. Yet in a public system designed for equal access and transparency, no group should expect to be catered to just because of affluence.

If the HOA boards truly care about their residents’ safety, their time would be better spent engaging with the county proactively — not waiting to be handed information or placing blame after the fact that they didn’t have a special seat at the table.

Fire preparedness is a shared responsibility. That includes making sure communication channels are open both ways — from the county to HOAs and from HOAs to CABs. If HOA boards believe evacuation issues are urgent, then taking initiative, showing up to meetings, requesting agenda items, and collaborating constructively with county officials is the clear path forward.

Can any of these HOAs inform of the last time they attended a Distrcit 2 CAB meeting? Remember these meetings are at 6PM long after most HOA management teams have headed home.

Instead of finger-pointing, many residents hope that future meetings will shift toward action: reviewing evacuation plans, conducting drills, improving signage, and lobbying for infrastructure improvements. Because when the next fire comes — and it will — access to clear communication, not special treatment, will make the real difference.