Weather the Winter Safely

From the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District 

With winter officially here, it is a good time to make winter preparations in your home. We hope the following winter weather safety tips help you to be prepared.

Home preparedness tips:

• Make sure you have working smoke alarms installed in every bedroom and outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. Test them monthly.
• Make sure you have working CO alarms installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. Test them monthly.
• Plan two ways out of the home in case of an emergency.
• Clear driveway and front walk of ice and snow. This will provide easy access to your home.
• Make sure your house number can be seen from the street. If you need help, first responders will be able to find you.
• Be ready in case the power goes out. Have flashlights on hand. Also have battery-powered lighting and fresh batteries.
• If you have a portable generator, it should be used outdoors in a well-ventilated area, away from all doors, windows, and vents. Do not run a generator inside your garage, even if the door is open. Do not use a generator in a wet area. This can cause shock or electrocution. Connect appliances to the generator with heavy-duty extension cords. Do not fuel your generator when it is running. Spilling gas on a hot engine can cause a fire.
• Check on your neighbors. Check on others who may need help.
• Stay away from downed wires. Report any downed wires to authorities.
• Be ready if the heat stops working. Use extra layers of clothes and blankets to stay warm. If you use an emergency heat source, follow manufacturer’s guidelines, and keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away.
• Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room and turn them off when you go to bed.
• Know where your gas meter is located and keep it clear.
• Have your furnace inspected and serviced by a qualified professional.
• Have your chimney cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional. Not cleaning your chimney is the leading cause of chimney fires from built up creosote.
• Have a covered metal container to dispose of cooled ashes. To obtain a free ash can, residents may fill out an application, available at the Fire District Administration Office, 866 Oriole Way, Incline Village. If the required criteria are met, an ash can will be provided. Please visit our website for more information on our Ash Can program.

Helpful Contact Phone Numbers/Websites:

• NV 511 Traveler Information System – Call 511 within Nevada or 877-NVROADS outside of Nevada, https://www.nvroads.com/
• CAL TRANS Road Conditions – Call 800/427-7623, https://dot.ca.gov/travel
• Reno National Weather Service – Call 775/673-8100, Reno, NV (weather.gov)
• Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID) Public Works – Call 775/832-1203, https://www.yourtahoeplace.com/ivgid
• Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) – Call 775/328-3001, https://www.washoesheriff.com/
• North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District (NLTFPD) – Call 775/831-0351, https://www.nltfpd.org/
• Southwest Gas (SWG) Emergency Dispatch – 800/772-4555 (Northern Nevada and California), https://www.swgas.com/
• NV Energy – Call 775/834-4100, https://www.nvenergy.com/
• Liberty Utilities – Call 800/782-2506,  https://libertyutilities.com/
• Washoe County Emergency Management – Call 775/337-5898, https://www.washoecounty.gov/em/

IN AN EMERGENCY, CALL 911