Be the Spark That Protects Your Neighborhood: Help Build a Fire-Adapted North Shore

Originally Published in IVCBA’s Magazine LIVE.WORK.PLAY. Summer Issue, Written by Kristie Wells

As wildfires grow more intense across the West, the North Shore of Lake Tahoe faces an urgent reality. Our community is surrounded by forest, beauty, and risk. But with action, collaboration, and local leadership, we can protect our homes, preserve our safety, and remain an insurable mountain town.

That’s why the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD), with support from the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District (NLTFPD) and other agencies, launched a community-led initiative to help neighborhoods become more fire-adapted.

What Is a Fire-Adapted Community?

A Fire-Adapted Community (FAC) is one where residents understand wildfire risk and take responsibility – individually and collectively – for reducing hazards. Neighborhoods and HOAs are encouraged to first become a Fire Adapted Community with support from the Tahoe RCD and NLTFPD. This unlocks access to resources like home evaluations, year-round chipping, defensible space guidance, educational materials, and help organizing clean-up events.

Once organized and actively engaged in fuel reduction, communities can apply for national recognition through the FireWise USA® program, which formalizes wildfire preparedness efforts and can help neighborhoods retain or even improve insurance coverage and premiums.

Lessons from Local Leaders: Success in Action

At The Village at Incline HOA on Country Club Drive, residents took on a major challenge. Their 30-unit complex, nestled in a forested, park-like setting, was surrounded by dense vegetation and over 200 highly flammable junipers. After consulting with an arborist and fire officials, a core group of homeowners – Shawn O’Hara, John Costa, Lauren Accinelli, and David Hoffman – developed a long-term fuel reduction plan. They cut the number of junipers in half, cleared vegetation within five feet of all buildings, and launched regular pine needle cleanups to maintain defensible space.

With support from the Tahoe RCD and NLTFPD, they became Incline’s first FireWise-recognized group in 2022, a step that helped maintain insurance and even earned premium discounts for some homeowners.

In Upper Tyner, residents Tom Millhoff, Caroline Peck, and Myles Riner developed a three-year plan to track yard waste, document defensible space work, and host clean-up days in their neighborhood of 370+ homes. Their efforts earned recognition as both a FireWise neighborhood and an official Fire Adapted Community – the first in Incline Village to achieve both.

These communities didn’t just protect their homes, they created templates others can follow. They’re even offering to share fuel reduction plans, data-tracking tools, and neighborhood survey templates with new leaders.  

Where Fire Risk Is Rising

Fuels experts point to neighborhoods with south-facing slopes between 10–20 degrees as especially vulnerable, due to faster vegetation drying and higher ignition potential. Identifying leaders in these areas is a top priority this year for the NLTFPD.

But every homeowner can take immediate action. The most critical step? Clear your Ember Resistant Zone (ERZ) – the first 0 to 5 feet around your home. This area should be free of pine needles, flammable plants, stacked wood, or mulch. Instead, use gravel or other non-combustible materials. Post-fire studies show that homes with a maintained ERZ are far more likely to survive. It’s one of the most important steps any homeowner can take right now.

What You Can Do

You don’t have to go it alone. FAC and FireWise programs are built on community action. Whether you lead a cleanup, knock on doors, or help a neighbor clear brush, your efforts matter.

Here’s how to get involved:

• Become a Fire Adapted Community or FireWise Leader. Tahoe RCD and NLTFPD will help organize, train, and connect you with other volunteers.
  
• Educate neighbors. Pick up free emergency info fridge magnets at the fire station for community distribution and placement in vacation rentals.
  
• Download the Smart911 App. Get emergency alerts and evacuation notices from Washoe County and Tahoe Alerts.
  
• Host a yard clean-up day. Invite neighbors to clear pine needles, trim trees, and improve defensible space.
  
• Track your progress. Metrics like hours worked or bags of debris help qualify your area for FireWise recognition.
  

Building a Safer Future

Wildfire resilience isn’t just the job of firefighters, it’s a community-wide commitment. From removing flammable landscaping to hosting block parties that build neighborly trust, small actions add up.

Hotel operators and short-term rental owners have a responsibility to help guests understand local fire conditions, safety expectations, and evacuation plans. Clear communication, through signage, welcome materials, or digital guides, can make all the difference in an emergency. We all play a vital role in keeping both visitors and the broader community safe.

If you want to help protect our mountain town, and keep it livable and insurable for generations to come, now is the time to act. Be the neighbor who sparks change.

To learn more or sign up as a neighborhood leader, contact the Tahoe RCD at 530-543-1501 x104 or visit www.tahoercd.org.