Is Your Home Ignition Resistant? theme of new Lake Tahoe Wildfire awareness campaign
Submitted by paula on Tue, 06/08/2021 - 9:34am
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Since fire knows no boundaries, state lines, or jurisdictions, a concerted effort at Lake Tahoe is underway to inform the public on wildfire preparation and awareness.
This fire season (May-October) the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) introduced the Lake Tahoe Wildfire Awareness Campaign with the first message: “Is Your Home Ignition Resistant?” Information can be found HERE.
All of the counties in the Lake Tahoe Basin, along with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, have shown their support for the campaign via the adoption of proclamations.
In 2020, California and Nevada experienced a record number of Red Flag Fire Weather days along with another record-setting, devastating fire season. We already had back-to-back Red Flag warning days in Lake Tahoe this week with a forecast of high winds for the next few days.
This year, agencies will be working with communities at Lake Tahoe to stay prepared all year by asking residents and visitors to take responsibility when living and recreating in high fire hazard areas. By taking action now and throughout the season, precious time can be saved in the event of an evacuation by preparing a go-bag and family evacuation plan early.
To prepare their communities for wildfire, Lake Tahoe residents must manage the vegetation around their homes and practice home maintenance in order for homes to resist ignition.
“Wildfire is a threat that significantly impacts Lake Tahoe’s environmental, economic and social well-being,” said Fire Chief Steve Leighton of North Tahoe Fire. “We are here to help residents and visitors prepare the Lake Tahoe communities to survive wildfire by becoming fire-adapted. All of our personnel are very proud to serve, and are committed to ensuring the safety of our community.”
Virtual workshops are planned throughout the season to share important information on fire-resistant landscaping, fire, and weather, prevention efforts being undertaken by power companies, understanding the impacts of smoke and fire, ways to harden homes to embers, after-the-fire recovery efforts, and the benefits of
prescribed fires.
Register for upcoming workshops by visiting https://www.tahoelivingwithfire.com/getinformed/calendar/. The first of the series is from Sunday, June 13 to Thursday, June 24. It is a free virtual screening of Not If, But When: Wildfire Solutions.
TFFT was formed in 2008 to implement the Lake Tahoe Basin Multi-Jurisdictional Fuel Reduction and Wildfire Prevention Strategy. TFFT is overseen by a multi-agency coordinating group that includes the seven Lake Tahoe Basin fire chiefs and nine local agency executives.
For information and resources to help prepare for wildfire, or to locate your local fire district, visit www.tahoelivingwithfire.com.