LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – With warmer weather and summer thunderstorms rolling through the basin, now is the time to prepare for potential wildfire evacuations. Taking steps early will help protect your home, your family, and yourself. CAL FIRE’s “Ready, Set, Go!” program outlines three key phases to help residents stay safe before, during, and after wildfires.
Get Ready
Start by creating and maintaining defensible space around your home and hardening your home against fire. Defensible space provides a buffer between your home and surrounding vegetation, helping to reduce the risk of wildfire spreading to your house. Incorporating hardscaping in the first five feet around your home and removing dead or dying plants can dramatically lower fire risk.
To learn more about defensible space zones and how to maintain them, visit www.tahoelivingwithfire.com/get-prepared/how-to-improve-my-defensible-space/
Next, harden your home by using fire-resistant materials in vulnerable areas, such as vents, roofs, and soffits. These upgrades can help block embers from entering your home – a major cause of structure fires during wildfires.
For a comprehensive list of home hardening tips, visit www.tahoelivingwithfire.com/get-prepared/how-to-make-my-home-fire-safe/
Get Set
Prepare your household by signing up for emergency alerts and packing a “go bag” ahead of time.
Anyone in the Tahoe Basin can sign up for local emergency alerts by visiting Tahoe Alerts and entering your current address. El Dorado County, Douglas County, and Washoe County use Perimeter to map evacuation notices and warnings. Stay informed by following your local fire district and law enforcement agencies on social media. You can also download Watch Duty, a free mobile app that provides real-time wildfire updates for your area.
Having your “go bag” ready ensures you won’t waste precious time during an evacuation. Include essentials such as water, non-perishable food, medications, copies of important documents, and chargers. If you have pets, pack a go bag for them as well with food, leashes, and other needed supplies.
For a detailed checklist of what to include, visit this wildfire evacuation checklist.
Go!
If an evacuation order is issued, leave immediately and follow directions from local officials. Evacuation routes and temporary refuge areas may change depending on the location and forward movement of the wildfire.
If you have time before leaving, take additional steps to protect your home: close all windows, turn off gas lines, and move flammable objects away from your home.
Don’t wait. Prepare today.
Early action can make a critical difference during wildfire season. Visit tahoelivingwithfire.com for up-to-date information on red flag warnings, fire restrictions, and local fire danger ratings.
-By Cricket Baldwin, Wildfire Resiliency Fellow at SLTFR