Welcome to 2026 - and to the 10th year of the Fire Adapted Communities Program!

Looking to the Future

Tahoe RCD’s Fire Adapted Communities program looks forward to continuing collaboration with residents, neighborhoods, and local agencies to reduce wildfire risk in the Lake Tahoe Basin.  

Fire Adapted vs Firewise - What's the Difference?

The Fire Adapted Communities is a framework developed to help communities prepare for wildfire. It is helpful to think of it as an umbrella term, which Firewise falls under. Firewise recognition is a specific certification communities can apply for. Also under the umbrella of Fire Adapted Communities are things like partnerships & community engagement, prescribed fires, and collaboration with local fire districts. The FAC wheel is a helpful representation of this framework.

 

New Fire Adapted Communities, Welcome! 

Congratulations to Tahoe City Downtown Association, Lukins Brothers Water Company, and Fallen Leaf Lake as they are three new Fire Adapted Communities seeking Firewise status. To learn more about these communities, check out their individual websites.

• Lukins Brothers Water Company Firewise
• Fallen Leaf Lake Firewise
• TCDA Firewise

 

Collaboration – Behind the Scenes of Wildfire Resilience 

Written by Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team Program Manager, Annabelle Monti

Wildfire resilience in the Lake Tahoe Basin doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of years of coordination, shared priorities, and a lot of work behind the scenes. One of the groups helping make that coordination possible is the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT).

The TFFT is a long-standing collaborative of local, state, federal, tribal, nonprofit, and private partners working together to reduce wildfire risk across the Basin. Rather than operating as a single agency, the TFFT serves as a coordination hub to bring partners together to align priorities, share information, and accelerate work on the ground.

This approach matters in a landscape where forests and communities span multiple ownerships and management responsibilities. The TFFT helps bridge those boundaries by coordinating forest restoration and fuels reduction projects, so community protection, forest health, and wildfire response are planned together, not in isolation.

The TFFT also supports Fire Adapted Communities by helping connect community-level preparedness with the larger landscape work happening around them. When actions at every scale are aligned, individual efforts add up to something larger: safer communities, healthier forests, and a more resilient Lake Tahoe.

Staying Engaged 

One way you can stay engaged year round is by following Tahoe Living With Fire on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with the latest prescribed fire updates, tips, and resources!

You can also check out our website, Tahoe Living With Fire, for up to date resources including the Neighborhood Leader Library, designed to provide community leaders with the tools and resources they need to empower their neighborhoods in wildfire preparedness. 

 

Additional Resources

• Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• How to Select Appropriate Plants for Fire Adapted Landscaping (YouTube)
• Neighborhood Leader Library
• Tahoe Resource Conservation District's 2025 Annual Report
• Home Hardening in Spanish - Cómo fortalecer las casas para resistir incendios forestales (YouTube)

 

Upcoming Events

• Meet the FAC Team Webinar - Thursday, March 26th from 6-7:30 PM (Zoom)
• Meet the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) Webinar - Thursday,  May 21st  6-7:30 PM (Zoom)
• Meet the US Forest Service (USFS) Webinar - Tuesday,  April 28th from 6-7:30 PM (Zoom)
• Wildfire Preparedness Campaign Workshop Series
  • Funding Pathways for Fire Adapted Communities | 3/18/26 from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm (Zoom)
  • Community Mapping for Resilience: A Participatory Workshop | TBD
  • Firewise: Step by Step | 5/5/26 from 6-7:30 pm at 330 Fairway Dr Tahoe City, CA 96145
  • Building a Fire Adapted Culture: Understanding Our Role in Living With Fire | 5/28/26 11:30 am - 12:30 pm (online)
• Wildfire Safety Expo – Saturday, May 30th South Tahoe Middle School from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Join us for a community education and preparedness event.
• Kahle Community Wildfire Fair - Saturday, June 27th Kahle Community Center from 10:00 AM - 2-00 PM. 
• Firefest – Mark your calendar for next years Firefest - September 26th!
• Upcoming community meetings - visit our calendar for the meeting schedule.

Wildfire preparedness continues to develop in the cold, snowy, winter months. It is a year round effort that is strongest when neighbors work together. Thanks to the dedication of residents, neighborhood leaders, and partner agencies, the Fire Adapted Communities program across the Tahoe Basin continues to grow, connect, and take meaningful action to mitigate wildfire risk. From clearing defensible space, to coming on as a new Fire Adapted Community, to engaging in meaningful discussions about the safety of our community, these collective efforts are building a safer, more resilient Tahoe.

Get involved today by joining your Fire Adapted Community, attending an upcoming event or webinar, volunteering at a neighborhood work day, or taking steps to create defensible space around your home. Together, we can take proactive steps today to protect our homes, neighborhoods, and the Tahoe Basin for years to come.

 

 

Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities

tahoelivingwithfire.com | 530-543-1501 ext. 114 | fire@tahoercd.org

 

This project was funded due to the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, which authorized the sale of BLM administered federal lands within a designated boundary in the Las Vegas Valley and required proceeds to be used on projects to fund federal, state and local projects that benefit communities and public lands.