The following letter was addressed to members of the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District Board of Directors after Fire Chief Scott Lindgren announced his resignation, effective June 1, 2026.

Dear TDFPD Board Members,

As a 15-year resident of Cave Rock and co-founder of the Tahoe East Shore Alliance, I have spent nearly a decade closely studying wildfire risk, evacuation capacity, and infrastructure constraints around Lake Tahoe. Through both my investigative work and my service as an advisor to the National Wildfire Alliance, I am aware of what effective fire leadership looks like in high-risk communities like ours.

I write today with deep concern regarding the notice of Chief Scott Lindgren’s retirement.

Quite simply, this district cannot afford to lose him.

If there is any place where steady, experienced leadership is non-negotiable, it is on the wildfire front. Chief Lindgren has consistently demonstrated exactly the kind of practical, hands-on, community-focused leadership that complex, high-risk environments demand. His work on defensible space, fuels reduction, interagency coordination, evacuation readiness, and direct resident engagement has materially strengthened this district’s safety and preparedness.

In my view, no one has done more for wildfire mitigation and evacuation readiness in our district and the Lake-wide fire community in the past decade.

This is not abstract policy work. It is operational. It is measurable. And it saves homes, resources, and potentially lives. 

Chief Lindgren has earned the trust of residents, partner agencies, and fire professionals throughout the Basin. His credibility and relationships are a significant reason we are finally seeing meaningful movement toward healthier forests, smarter mitigation strategies, and realistic evacuation planning around the Lake. That kind of institutional knowledge and trust cannot be easily replaced.

Removing proven leadership at a time of escalating wildfire risk sends the wrong message and creates unnecessary instability where continuity is critical.

If there is a clear, performance-based or public-safety rationale for pushing out one of the most effective chiefs this district has had, the community deserves to hear it transparently. Absent that, this action appears counterproductive to the very mission the Board is charged to protect.

This is also a pivotal moment for the department, with many new firefighters entering service. Effective training and mentorship require stable, experienced leadership. Disrupting that continuity now risks weakening the very readiness the District has worked so hard to build.

I strongly urge the Board to take any and all steps necessary to prioritize retaining Chief Lindgren’s experienced leadership. In a Basin defined by escalating wildfire risk, continuity, institutional knowledge, and proven performance are not optional — they are essential to public safety.

Thank you for your careful consideration of this important public safety matter.

Respectfully,
Dana Tibbitts

Cave Rock Resident
Co-Founder, Tahoe East Shore Alliance
Advisor, National Wildfire Alliance