Tahoe Living With Fire

11/05/2026

“Connecting our students with the natural environment right here in their own backyard is a cornerstone of our Career Technical Education (CTE) and science curriculum,” said Alissa Zertuche, CTE specialist for LTUSD. “Understanding how fire, water, and forest systems interact empowers our students to become informed environmental stewards. We are deeply grateful to Heavenly Mountain Resort, Tahoe Resource Conservation District, the Sugar Pine Foundation, and Keep Tahoe Blue for providing such an impactful experience.”

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — A total of 204 Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) 8th-grade students took their science and environmental learning to new heights during Heavenly Epic Days […]

11/04/2026

We were busy last month getting out and about in the Tahoe Basin for school field trips, tree planting, a community resource fair, a Firewise neighborhood workday, and more! Read about it all in our most recent newsletter now available at https://www.tahoercd.org/october-2026-newsletter. If you're not signed up yet, click the link at the bottom right of the webpage to get the next newsletter directly in your inbox!

11/03/2026

While you're cleaning up your yard this fall, remember that a layer of pine needles in the winter helps keep the ground insulated and prevents erosion. Focus on clearing out the first 5 feet around structures, and wait until spring for the big needle cleanup.

11/02/2026

11/02/2026

We had a great time connecting with folks at the Bijou Community Health Fair a couple weeks ago!

10/31/2026

Stay safe out there this spooky season!

🌲Clear flammable vegetation within 30 ft of the house
🔥Make sure all vents have 1/8" mesh to prevent embers from entering.
🪵Cover wood piles with an ember-resistant tarp or keep them >30 ft from structures
🏠Replace the first 5 ft of fence touching the house with metal fencing.
🪾Remove dead trees from the yard.
🍂Rake pine needles out from under porches and in the first 5 ft around the house

10/30/2026

Listen to this story about recent research about how neighborhoods were protected during the Caldor Fire!

"When the Caldor Fire threatened the Lake Tahoe Basin in 2021, no structures were lost in Christmas Valley.

UC Davis research ecologist Hugh Safford said that outcome reflected several factors working together, including years of fuel treatments, fire-resistant homes, residents prepared for wildfire and firefighters ready to respond."

Five years after the Caldor Fire burned more than 220,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada, researchers are studying what helped protect the Christmas Valley and Meyers communities, and what could reduce wildfire impacts in the future.

10/27/2026

Updates from the most recent Prescribed Fire Newsletter:

October/November 2026: CSP
California State Parks is scheduled to conduct prescribed understory and pile burning on approximately 118 acres in Burton Creek and Ed Z'Berg Sugar Pine Point state parks, as conditions, staffing and weather permit.

Oct. 27-29, 2026: NDF
The Nevada Division of Forestry is scheduled to begin prescribed pile burning on approximately 20-acres in Spooner Lake and Backcountry State Park as conditions, staffing and weather permit.

The Fire Adapted Communities Program is funded due to the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), 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 loca...

10/23/2026

Pile Burning Update – October 23, 2026

NLTFPD crews will continue pile burning today on the West side of 2nd Creek. Two burn locations are closest to:

📍 Doeskin Court and Tyner Way
📍 Saddlehorn Drive and Poco Court

Smoke may be visible. Please do not call 911 to report smoke from these announced burns. If you see smoke from an unannounced fire or an immediate threat to life or property, call 911.

10/20/2026

Come see us this Thursday at the Bijou Community Health Fair! We're excited to be joining lots of other great groups in our community to share information and resources. Wildfire preparedness is an essential part of public health.