In The News – Pilot Project Launches to Create Tahoe’s Most Wildfire-Ready Community
May 23, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally Published in Moonshine Ink, 05/23/2025, Tahoe Fund press release
A coalition of wildfire experts, technology companies, energy providers, and nonprofits launched a groundbreaking pilot project on May 20 aimed at creating the most wildfire-ready community in the Lake Tahoe region. The Incline Fire Smart Community Pilot is taking place in the Tyrolian Village HOA, a neighborhood encompassing 228 homes across 60 acres in Incline Village that has been identified as a high-priority wildfire area by the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District.
The pilot is leveraging new technology to identify which mitigations matter the most, while informing insurance outcomes and demonstrating how comprehensive wildfire defense can be implemented and replicated across Tahoe and the West. During a demonstration, the public was able to see a remote-operated masticator from BurnBot remove hazardous fuels in the neighborhood up to 5 feet from homes. Attendees also heard from a panel of experts on how the project came together and the science and strategy behind it. Watch the panel here.
The pilot includes seven phases, of which the first two are already underway: the Baseline Risk Modeling and Assessment and the Neighborhood-Scale Vegetation Treatment.
Learn more at tahoefund.org/inclinefiresmartpilot.
Photo: Burnbot Pilot – Credit Tahoe Fund