Wildfires are a fact of life in Northern Nevada — most of them human-caused and preventable. In July alone, five wildland fires burned roughly 1,700 acres in Washoe County. Three were determined to be human-caused.

What happens to someone if they cause a fire? Do they have to pay restitution fees, and could they face jail time?

Local fire departments say that, generally, people won't be charged to cover the costs of firefighting or serve time because it's hard to prove they were negligent.

Reno Fire Chief Dave Cochran used the example of a resident mowing their lawn and sparking a fire. It must be proven in court that the person knew it was dangerous to mow in hot, dry and windy conditions and they risked it anyway.

The July 1 Barron Fire in south Reno sparked on a day with temperatu

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