Free virtual workshop: Learn how to harden your Lake Tahoe home against wildfire

With the fire year underway at Lake Tahoe, it’s critical for residents to prepare their homes for wildfire. One of the most effective ways residents can prepare their homes is by implementing home hardening techniques and maintaining effective defensible space.

To help residents learn how to harden their homes, the Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities, in collaboration with the University of Nevada and California Cooperative Extensions and CAL FIRE, are hosting a free virtual workshop on July 28, 2020 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The workshop is free and open to the public, but attendees must pre-register using this line - bit.ly/TahoeRetrofit.

In this engaging virtual webinar, you'll learn how to harden your home against wildfire from leading experts Steve Quarles, Susie Kocher, and Christina Restaino. Email fire@tahoercd.org for questions or concerns.

“Post-wildfire assessments have shown that more than 60% of home ignitions are the result of wild-blown embers," explains Dr. Quarles on the importance of home hardening stating. "The chance of home ignitions can be greatly reduced if residents create and maintain an effective defensible space on their property and take steps to harden their homes to make them more resistant to embers.”

Workshop presenters: University of California Cooperative Extension Advisor Emeritus and retired Chief Scientist for Wildfire and Durability for Business & Home Safety Research Center, Dr. Steve Quarles; Forestry Advisor at the University of California Cooperative Extension Central Sierra and registered professional forester, Susie Kocher; and Assistant Professor and Natural Resources Specialist with University of Nevada, Reno Extension and the Director of the Living With Fire Program, Christina Restaino.

Taking steps now to harden your home against embers will increase the survivability of your home during a wildfire. Learn more about preparing for wildfire at tahoelivingwithfire.com.