October 2026 Newsletter

Fall Wrap-Up

This fall, Tahoe's Fire Adapted and Firewise Communities continued to make their communities more wildfire resilient. Leaders worked hard to help their communities become more educated, involved, and prepared for wildfire. Check out the photos below for highlights!🍂

An orange tent with "Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities" at a lumber store, with people engaged in conversation.
Educating community members on home hardening through collaboration with local hardware stores.
A group of people poses on a bridge in a scenic outdoor location with mountains and trees in the background.
9th Grade Field Trip Lesson on Fire Ecology
A group of kids are engaged in an outdoor activity near a large tree, enjoying nature and possibly a game or exercise.
4th Grade Wonders of Water and Environmental Education Defensible Space Lesson
A group of people gather in a forested area near a sign about "Defensible Space," likely discussing community safety measures.
Neighborhood Workday for the Heavenly Village Fire Adapted Community
A group of people stands in a burned forest area, surrounded by charred trees and rocky terrain, under a clear blue sky.
Tree planting with the Sugar Pine Foundation in the Caldor Burn Scar
May contain: adult, female, person, woman, pen, accessories, bag, handbag, desk, furniture, table, glasses, book, indoors, library, publication, clothing, hat, market, shop, computer hardware, electronics, hardware, monitor, and screen
Wildfire Model at the Barton Bijou Community Health Fair
A group of children and an adult pose together, with a presentation about the Caldor Fire visible on a screen behind them.
Kings Beach Boys & Girls Club Robotics Team Presentation
Two women stand in front of a "Defensible Space" sign in a wooded area, engaged in community safety work with a table nearby.
Wildfire Resiliency Fellows Kat & Rosa supporting a workday
An orange tent with "Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities" at a lumber store, with people engaged in conversation.
A group of people poses on a bridge in a scenic outdoor location with mountains and trees in the background.
A group of kids are engaged in an outdoor activity near a large tree, enjoying nature and possibly a game or exercise.
A group of people gather in a forested area near a sign about "Defensible Space," likely discussing community safety measures.
A group of people stands in a burned forest area, surrounded by charred trees and rocky terrain, under a clear blue sky.
May contain: adult, female, person, woman, pen, accessories, bag, handbag, desk, furniture, table, glasses, book, indoors, library, publication, clothing, hat, market, shop, computer hardware, electronics, hardware, monitor, and screen
A group of children and an adult pose together, with a presentation about the Caldor Fire visible on a screen behind them.
Two women stand in front of a "Defensible Space" sign in a wooded area, engaged in community safety work with a table nearby.

 

Raking Pine Needles to Maintain Defensible Space

What can people do to get ready for winter?

🍂In the fall, let them fall. The recommendation for defensible space is to leave the current pine needles for erosion control during the winter, with the exception of Zone 0.  Zone 0, or the “non-combustible zone” is the first 0-5 feet surrounding a structure and is the most crucial part of maintaining defensible space. Experts reccommend keeping this area clear of pine needles year round.

🌱In the spring, rake them all. Wait until the spring to perform the bulk of pine needle removal. This protects the soil from erosion due to heavy precipitation during the winter.

 

A road runs through a forest with a parked vehicle and smoke rising from nearby trees, suggesting a potential fire.
Photo by Kat Lanham of a prescribed burn off of Pioneer Trail.

Using Fire as a Tool

Prescribed fire, or “beneficial fire”, is one of the most effective tools available for restoring forest health and reducing wildfire risk, but it comes with tradeoffs.

When implemented, prescribed fire reduces surface fuels, supports fire-dependent ecosystems, and helps restore natural forest processes. It can improve forest structure and reduce the likelihood of high-severity wildfire.

Prescribed fire also has short-term impacts, including smoke and temporary closures. These concerns are real and understandable, but they must be weighed against the long-term risks of inaction: denser forests, heavier fuels, and more severe wildfire when fire inevitably returns.

The TFFT helps coordinate prescribed fire efforts across the Basin to ensure projects are implemented strategically, safely, and with clear communication. Education and transparency are key to building understanding and trust.

Prescribed fire is not a silver bullet, but it is a critical part of living responsibly with fire and building resilient forests and communities.

Lake Tahoe Basin Prescribed Fire and Forest Fuels Project Map

Curious about projects near you? Visit the Prescribed Fire and Forest Fuels Project Map to learn about prescribed fires and forest fuels projects currently managed by TFFT partners in Lake Tahoe.

A map of Lake Tahoe highlighting its features, locations, and surrounding areas, including parks and points of interest.

Meet the Wildfire Resiliency Fellows

In September, Rosa and Kat joined the Fire Adapted Communities Program as Wildfire Resiliency Fellows. They support outreach and education for FAC around the Lake Tahoe Basin.

A smiling individual stands in front of a fence, surrounded by trees and mountains under a cloudy sky.
Kat grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah where she gained a love and appreciation for the outdoors. She loves hiking, biking, skiing, paddleboaring, and spending time being active in nature. She has a degree in Biology  with a concentration in Ecology, Evolution, Biodiversity, and Conservation from Cal Poly SLO. This is her second year as a fellow with the Fire Adapted Communities Program. She is passionate about climate action and excited to help build resiliency and keep communities in the basin safe from wildfire.
A smiling person in a hard hat and safety gear stands in a forested area, with mountains and a river in the background.
Originally from the East Coast, Rosa got her first taste of fire ecology during a summer research internship in Montana in 2019. She loved working outside and getting to see green plants growing back after wildfires. She has worked on conservation corps crews in Tennessee and Colorado, trained as a wildland firefighter, and researched post-fire seedling regeneration in the Eastern Sierra. Most recently, she received her Master’s in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno. She is excited to apply her science background at the Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities to help neighborhoods around Lake Tahoe be better prepared for wildfire.

 

Additional Resources

Upcoming Events

  • Stewardship Webinar - Engaging Your Neighbors for Wildfire Preparedness - Tuesday, November 10th 11:30 am -12:30 pm. Register here.
  • Upcoming community meetings - visit our calendar for the meeting schedule.

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.

 

The image features three logos: Tahoe Resource Conservation District, Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities, and Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team.

 

Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities

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

 

The image features the logo of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, representing public lands.

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.

 

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