by Martin Goldberg | May 14, 2023 | News
Lake Tahoe Celebrates Community Wildfire Preparedness All Year
Agencies Seek Feedback on Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Contact(s):
Jeff Cowen, [email protected], (775) 589-5278
Cheyanne Neuffer, [email protected], (530) 543-1501, ext. 115
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA – In recognition of National Community Wildfire Preparedness Day on May 6, the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) is encouraging people and organizations everywhere to come together to take action, raise awareness, and reduce wildfire risks. The TFFT is stressing the importance of wildfire preparedness throughout the year to continue protecting communities and Lake Tahoe’s environment from the increasing risk of wildfire. Lake Tahoe has seen firsthand how important it is to be vigilant, be prepared for evacuation, and work together to create defensible space and thin overstocked forests.
“After decades of fire suppression, the Tahoe Basin’s forests are overstocked and highly vulnerable to insects, disease and catastrophic wildfire,” said TFFT Incident Commander and North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Division Chief Isaac Powning. “We rely on firefighters, land managers, and the public to all work together to protect our communities and ecosystem from damaging wildfires.”
In 2022, TFFT partners reduced fuels on more than 2,500 acres and completed a record 7,962 inspections to help property owners create defensible space around homes and businesses.
Along with TFFT’s work, the community has a critical role in wildfire preparedness. Next Saturday, May 13, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue will host the 6th annual Wildfire Safety Expo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at South Tahoe Middle School, 2940 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. The Wildfire Safety Expo is a fun, free, community event to provide information on how to be fire-safe during this upcoming wildfire season.
And on May 23, North Shore fire agencies will host a community wildfire preparedness workshop from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the North Lake Tahoe Event Center, 8313 N. Lake Blvd., Kings Beach, Calif. The event will educate, inspire, and build fire-adapted communities and Firewise neighborhoods in the North Tahoe Region. Sign up here to attend or visit tinyurl.com/wildfireworkshop.
The TFFT is also urgently requesting public feedback on the Lake Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) survey. These plans help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires and increase the resilience of communities to natural disasters. To complete the quick survey, visit arcg.is/8zKGr0.
“This survey is an opportunity for fire districts to hear from community members about concerns and priorities related to wildfire risk reduction. Community input will help guide the update of community wildfire protection plans and ensure that they reflect the needs and values of communities in the Lake Tahoe Basin,” said Cheyanne Neuffer, the CWPP Program Coordinator at the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.
The Tahoe Resource Conservation District also manages the Fire Adapted Communities Program and has assisted neighborhoods throughout the region to become certified in the program. Contact the district for more information.
Forest health is one of the focus areas of the Environmental Improvement Program, a collaborative partnership of over 80 public and private organizations committed to achieving the environmental goals of the region. Since the EIP’s inception in 1997, TFFT partners have treated more than 92,000 acres of forest to reduce hazardous fuels. The full list of projects is available at eip.laketahoeinfo.org.
“These fuel treatments have proven themselves invaluable. During the Caldor Fire we saw flames 150 feet tall in untreated areas that shrunk to 15 feet tall when they reached a treated area in Christmas Valley,” said Captain Martin Goldberg of Lake Valley Fire. “This meant that our firefighters could engage the fire and protect the nearby homes. If that area hadn’t been treated, we may have seen a very different outcome.”
This year, TFFT partners plan to exceed the 2,500 acres treated in 2022, especially near power lines and neighborhoods. On the East Shore, the Nevada Tahoe Resource Team will be treating about 450 acres near Marlette Lake, which will complement the work by NV Energy to create resilient corridors along NV Energy’s electrical lines on all lands. Liberty Energy will be doing similar resilience corridor work throughout their service area on the South Shore. Crews will be working to reduce hazardous fuels in Van Sickle Bi-State Park this summer, and South Tahoe Public Utility District will be conducting projects to protect water infrastructure in case of wildfire. The North Tahoe Fire Protection District will reduce hazardous fuels on at least 300 acres within North Tahoe and Meeks Bay Fire Protection Districts.
Protecting Lake Tahoe communities from damaging wildfire and restoring ecosystem resilience requires agencies and communities to work together. Maintaining defensible space and landscaping with native plants complements larger forest health projects and helps create a safer and more resilient Lake Tahoe Basin. By working together, Lake Tahoe’s communities and environment will be better protected throughout the year.
Photo NLTFPD Chipping3.jpg Caption: Many fire districts at Lake Tahoe offer free services such as curbside chipping and defensible space inspections that improve safety for firefighters and the community.
Photo Credit: North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District
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About the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team
The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) consists of representatives of Tahoe Basin fire agencies, CAL FIRE, Nevada Division of Forestry and related state agencies, University of California and Nevada Cooperative Extensions, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, conservation districts from both states, the California Tahoe Conservancy and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. Our Mission is to protect lives, property and the environment within the Lake Tahoe Basin from wildfire by implementing prioritized fuels reduction projects and engaging the public in becoming a Fire Adapted Community.
For more information, visit www.tahoefft.org.
Jeff W Cowen (he/his)
Public Information Officer
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
775.589.5278
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by Martin Goldberg | Dec 21, 2022 | News
Notice of Intent to Adopt the 2022 Fire Code Ordinance – Second Notice
Notice is hereby given of the intention of the Lake Valley Fire Protection District to adopt a Fire
Code Ordinance. The District shall hold its second public hearing at 16:00 on Thursday January
5th, 2023 at the Lake Valley Fire Protection District Station 7, 2211 Keetak St, South Lake
Tahoe, CA, regarding the adoption of the 2022 Fire Code Ordinance pursuant to Health and
Safety Code Sections 13869 and 13869.7. Copies of the code section referred to and any
secondary code sections referred to,adopted by reference, are on file with the Secretary of
the District and are open to public inspection. Adoption of the Fire Code Ordinance will adopt
the California Fire Code as currently published in Title 24, Part 9, of the California Code of
Regulations, governing fire prevention and building standards related to fire and panic safety
with some amendments. In some instances the Lake Valley Fire Protection District’s proposed
Fire Code Ordinance proposes building standards more stringent than those minimum building
standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal and contained in the California Building Standards
Code.
by Martin Goldberg | Nov 25, 2022 | News
FIRST NOTICE
Notice of Intent to Adopt the 2022 Fire Code Ordinance
Notice is hereby given of the intention of the Lake Valley Fire Protection District to adopt a Fire Code Ordinance. The District shall hold its first public hearing at 17:00 on Thursday December 8th, 2022 at the Lake Valley Fire Protection District Station 7, 2211 Keetak St, South Lake Tahoe, CA, regarding the adoption of the 2022 Fire Code Ordinance pursuant to Health and Safety Code Sections 13869 and 13869.7. Copies of the code section referred to and any secondary code sections referred to, adopted by reference, are on file with the Secretary of the District and are open to public inspection (see link below). Adoption of the Fire Code Ordinance will adopt the California Fire Code as currently published in Title 24, Part 9, of the California Code of Regulations, governing fire prevention and building standards related to fire and panic safety with some amendments. In some instances the Lake Valley Fire Protection District’s proposed Fire Code Ordinance proposes building standards more stringent than those minimum building standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal and contained in the California Building Standards Code.
LVFPD Ordinance 2022-01.docx
by Martin Goldberg | Oct 25, 2022 | News
Repost from Tahoe Daily Tribune
State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara will enforce the new insurance pricing regulation he wrote recognizing and rewarding wildfire safety and mitigation efforts made by homeowners and businesses.
Commissioner Lara’s regulation is the first in the nation requiring insurance companies to provide discounts to consumers under the Safer from Wildfires framework created by the California Department of Insurance in partnership with state emergency preparedness agencies. The regulation is now state law and included in the California Code of Regulations.
“Protecting Californians from deadly wildfires means everyone doing their part, including insurance companies by rewarding consumers for being safer from wildfires,” states Lara in a news release. “The reality of climate change is driving my determination to help communities better prepare, help our firefighters save lives and help more Californians find insurance they can afford.”
Lara’s regulation requires insurance companies to submit new rate filings incorporating wildfire safety standards created by the Department of Insurance and to establish a process for releasing wildfire risk determinations to residents and businesses within 180 days. The news release notes that transparency is an important benefit of this regulation, requiring insurance companies to provide consumers with their property’s “wildfire risk score” and creating a right to appeal that score.
In 2019 insurance companies representing 7% of the residential market provided insurance discounts. Today that figure has grown to 40%, according to Department of Insurance data. When this new regulation is fully implemented, it is expected to be 100% of the residential and commercial market aligned with the Safer from Wildfires framework.
Lara directed the Department of Insurance to write the regulation to protect consumers and improve market competition after hearing first-hand from consumers and business owners about their frustration with insurance companies that did not consider mitigation in their rating plans. During town hall meetings in more than 38 counties and an extensive Department of Insurance investigatory wildfire hearing in 2020, consumers testified that their homes and businesses were subject to “wildfire risk scores” that many did not know existed and had no right to appeal if inaccurate.
Home hardening retrofits, along with defensible space, significantly increase a home’s chance of surviving a wildfire, according to Chief Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire deputy director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation. “Using the latest fire science and recent wildfire data, these retrofits and landscaping requirements provide a strong path to structure survivability,” he states, adding that Cal Fire is currently funding more than $3 million in local wildfire prevention projects to prepare communities for wildfire.
The new wildfire safety regulation requires insurance companies to submit new rates that recognize the benefit of safety measures such as upgraded roofs and windows, defensible space and community-wide programs such as Firewise USA and the Fire Risk Reduction Community designation developed by the state’s Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, which currently includes the counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Butte, as well as cities and local districts.
by Martin Goldberg | Sep 19, 2022 | News
Lake Valley Fire Protection District Notice of Vacancy and Intent to Appoint Director
The community served by the Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) is hereby notified pursuant to Government Code §1780 that there is a vacancy on the Lake Valley Fire Protection District Board due to failure to elect. The appointee will represent the community served by the Lake Valley Fire Protection District as a Board Director. The position to be filled is a 4-year term beginning December, 2022 and ending December, 2026.
To apply, candidates must submit a letter of intent along with a current resume to the Lake Valley Fire Protection District, attention Kayla Galvan by Friday, October 7, 2022 by 5:00 PM.
Eligibility:
Any person who is 18 years of age or older, a registered voter and resident of the Lake Valley Fire Protection District, and who is not disqualified by the Constitution or laws of the state from holding office, is eligible to be appointed a member of the Board of Directors.
Interviews:
The Board of Directors will interview prospective candidates at a public meeting on October 13, 2022, accept oral or written public input at that time, and select the appointee by a majority vote.