Time to prepare for wildfire is now at Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Even though many homes still have feet of snow in the front and back yards, it is never too early to be prepared for wildfire. This week is Wildfire Preparedness Week, a reminder to residents to plan ahead to ensure their safety if wildfires threaten the state in the months ahead.

It was Benjamin Franklin who said, "By failing to plan, you are preparing to fail” and Winston Churchill said, “He who fails to plan is planning to fail.” Even though quotes are from previous centuries, they are still valid today.

There are two upcoming events in South Lake Tahoe that will inform locals on what to do, as well as valuable information from Tahoe Living With Fire (TLWF) and South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue.

On Saturday, May 6, the California insurance commissioner and state senator representing the area will be at the Firewise and City of South Lake Tahoe community-wide wildfire preparedness event on Saturday, May 6 from 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center.

Then the following week on May 13, it is the 6th annual Wildfire Safety Expo held at South Tahoe Middle School from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

There is also valuable information on https://www.tahoelivingwithfire.com/.

What you can do now:

Home Hardening - This is a great time to plan your home hardening retrofits. Get the Wildfire Home Retrofit Guide. Home hardening is the process of preparing your home for wildfire embers by addressing its most vulnerable components and retrofitting them with fire-resistant building materials. Replace your roof with Class A material, metal, composite, or tile; Enclose open eaves - If a roof upgrade doesn’t fit in your budget, enclosing your eaves may be a more affordable option; Replace attic and crawl space vents with 1/8” metal mesh screening; Replace 5 feet of the fence or gate next to your house with a non-combustible material like metal; Stop embers from igniting your deck and disconnect flammable deck materials from your home; Install or upgrade windows and skylights to multi-pane tempered glass.

TLWF produced virtual webinars and workshops in 2021, but they are still available to view HERE.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Captain Kim George is highlighting wildfire preparedness week with tips on the department's social media pages:

Monday - Vegetation Zones 0, 1, and 2: Zone 0 is the Ember-Eesistant Zone. For the first five feet from the home, do not have flammable decks or landscaping. Zone 1 - Lean, Clean, and Green Zone: This is the first 30 feet from the home, or property line, whichever is closer. Zone 2 - Reduce Fuel Zone. 30 feet to 100 feet from home. (Details here)
Tuesday - Yard clean up take time to clean up pine needs, pine cones, and yard litter. Pine needles and pine cones are flammable and should be cleaned up from around your home and your roof too.
Wed - Updating your home's vents
Thursday - Fence separation from homes
Friday - Landscape with decorative rock, not mulch
Saturday - Community work days and the City's new chipping program

Preparing a year-round "go bag" is important not only for wildfire but also for winter storms, and don't forget one for your pets - see more here.

Be prepared by signing up for emergency alerts from the sheriff, county and city. See more here.

The Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities has a list of their top ten tips on being prepared, see more here.