The Basin’s First Firewise Town

April 13th, 2026

By Alex Hoeft

To be “Firewise” is nothing new, especially to those living in Truckee/North Tahoe. Even before the recent and particularly notable wildfires in 2021 (Caldor, Dixie, Tamarack), the region spent time educating those who live and visit here about wildfire, including safety measures for residential and commercial structures, vegetation management, and more.

As of press deadline, a little over 70 “sites” in Moonshine Ink’s coverage area are deemed Firewise by the National Fire Protection Association. Such sites include neighborhoods, HOAs, residential roads, and so on. This designation means the sites have formed a board or committee, completed a community wildfire risk assessment, created an action plan, and annually perform educational and risk-reduction actions.

While various Tahoe City neighborhoods are Firewise, the Tahoe City Downtown Association is looking to qualify the downtown section of the city (about 700 parcel owners), partnering with the North Tahoe Fire Protection District and Tahoe Resource Conservation District to get it done. Currently, no parcels in the central section qualify as Firewise.

“When we started this [effort], we didn’t know [we were the first possible Firewise municipality],” said Katherine Hill, TCDA’s executive director. “A lot of times, even though we’re a business association, without a town government we end up being the voice for the community.

“We would love to see other communities in the Basin follow this as well,” she added. “I think it sets not just a precedent but shows that we’re committed to communities around the lake.”

I reached out to another one of the key individuals involved to ask for details.

~ AH

What is the upcoming timeline for Tahoe City to become a Firewise community?

Michael Haran, community specialist with North Tahoe Fire Protection District: Come May I will be performing a risk assessment for the proposed Tahoe City Firewise area, which primarily includes the downtown section of Tahoe City. The risk assessment will collect broad data of the residential buildings within the boundary. This data includes home hardening and defensible space, items like, what percentage of homes have noncombustible roofs, wooden attachments (fences and decks), noncombustible siding, and what percentage of homes have treated their defensible space zones. The risk assessment will also include information on the surrounding area, what fuel reduction projects have taken place, fire history, and more.

Once the risk assessment is completed, the Firewise committee will use all that information to create an action plan. The action plan is basically a list of goals that the community hopes to achieve over a three-year period.

As for timing, the risk assessment should be completed no later than May 11, ideally sometime during the week of May 4, and the action plan completion time is entirely up to the Firewise committee’s schedule but should quickly follow suit.

How many parcels are already qualified as Firewise?

MH: Within North Tahoe Fire Protection District’s jurisdiction, there are currently 42 Fire Adapted Communities (FACs), 40 of which have achieved Firewise recognition. With the addition of Downtown Tahoe City, that number will increase to 43 FACs with 41 Firewise-recognized communities.

(Editor’s note: A Fire Adapted Community means an area has established such preparation efforts as packing go-bags, creating evacuation plans, and signing up for emergency alerts. A community can be an FAC and Firewise at the same time.)

For Firewise recognition, the number of dwelling units within the neighborhood is the key factor, not necessarily the parcel count. Within our jurisdiction, the smallest Firewise community includes 8 homes [the minimum number of units possible to qualify], while the largest includes 954.

BOUNDARIES of the Tahoe City Firewise area are outlined in red. There will be five districts: Fairway/Bunker Drive (including the golf course and Tahoe Lake Elementary); Grove Street/Jackpine residential grid area; Business District from Grove Street east to Sierra Terrace neighborhood; Business District from Grove Street west to Savoie (former Pfeifer House); and Tahoe Marina Lakefront and Tavern Shores condo area. Courtesy map

What about parcels outside the downtown section of TC?

MH: Many of the neighborhoods surrounding Downtown Tahoe City have already achieved FAC and Firewise status. Along the West Shore, the Comstock-Cathedral Heights neighborhood (including Granlibakken Road, Bonanza Drive, Cathedral Drive, Holly Road, and the surrounding area) has been recognized since 2024, and the Talmont neighborhood since 2021. On the North Shore, Rocky Ridge achieved recognition in 2025, with additional neighborhoods also working toward recognition.

With much of the surrounding area already participating, including Downtown Tahoe City helps fill a key geographic and community gap in the program. The long-term goal is for the entire Tahoe Basin to become a Fire Adapted Community with widespread Firewise participation. Due to the fact that Tahoe City has high visibility and a central location, it is in a perfect position to serve as a model for what can be accomplished when residents work together alongside organizations like TCDA, North Tahoe Fire Protection District, and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.

What is most important for Tahoe City residents to know about the effort at this point in time?

MH: It’s difficult to point at a single most important item, but residents should know that at its core, Fire Adapted Communities and Firewise provide residents with the tools, resources, and support needed to create and maintain defensible space and improve home hardening. Just as importantly, the program is about bringing neighbors together around that shared goal. Wildfire doesn’t recognize property lines, so collective action is critical. When communities work together to reduce risk, the benefits are extended well beyond individual properties and contribute to the overall resilience of the community. Every step we take promotes community protection and life-safety in the face of a wildfire.

Tahoe City residents, for your calendars

Monday, April 20, at 6 p.m. in the Tahoe City Public Utility District boardroom
(221 Fairway Dr.)

The meeting will focus on planning details for Tahoe City’s first Defensible Space Cleanup Day scheduled for May 30, an important step in strengthening wildfire preparedness and helping the community move toward official Firewise Community designation.

Zoom option available: tinyurl.com/y888ewaz

More information: visittahoecity.org/firewise

Saturday, May 30, throughout Tahoe City: Defensible Space Cleanup Day