The Tahoe Fuels & Fire team (TFFT) is hosting a campaign called "Get Defensive." The campaign includes many events and will run from May through October, highlighting the message: “Get Defensive – Create Defensible Space.”

“This year’s theme is a fun way to say that the best offense is a strong defense and to be proactive when it comes to maintaining a home that has proper defensible space,” says Tia Rancourt, public information officer for the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District.

Homeowners can participate in "getting defensive" through various ways including learning about and maintaining proper defensible space & home hardening, attending a community event, and engaging with their neighbors. To learn more, visit our website www.TahoeLivingWithFire.com.

Moving into the summer months, the FAC office has been busy hosting events and assisting with neighborhood meetings & workdays. We are proud to see the basin growing with more and more neighborhoods joining the FAC Program as well as submitting their Firewise applications. Keep up the good work!

Lately we have been seeing some local high school students in both Tahoe City and South Lake get out to help neighborhoods with defensible space work. We very much appreciate their time & hard work and hope to see more of this in the future.

The FAC Program has been working to develop new outreach opportunities and materials for neighborhood leaders, short-term renters, and all kinds of Tahoe community members. We hope to expand our information & resources so that everyone in the basin is wildfire prepared!

Being in summer now means being in wildfire season. Wildfire readiness includes signing up for emergency alerts, making a "Go" bag, and considering neighborhood evacuation routes.

While some of these steps can be taken individually, it is a good idea to connect with your neighbors and discuss wildfire evacuation planning.

This can be a great topic to bring up at community workdays this summer. Starting these kinds of conversations can also allow for neighborhoods to identify vulnerable community members who would need assistance in the event of emergency evacuation.

Firewise Informational Workshop- Date to be announced soon (check our events page & calendar for updates)

Fire Festival- Date to be announced. This is an annual interagency extravaganza that happens in the Fall

High School Ambassador Program- This upcoming school year, we are planning to kick off a High School Ambassador Program which will utilize high school students wanting to gain volunteer hours & professional development skills. They will assist our neighborhood leaders in the upcoming year and more information about this program will come out in the following newsletters.

Building on our connections and existing relationships to make a BIG difference:

Contact Michelle for more information on any of the above or Firewise: mmclean@tahoercd.org or (530) 543- 1501 ext 114

Remember to connect with your local fire district to request defensible space inspections or chipping services.

These are free services provided through the Tahoe RCD (Bureau of Land Management funding).