INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Incline Village and Crystal Bay homeowners are heading into summer equipped with wildfire preparedness and mitigation knowledge after a seminar on Tuesday night at The Chateau.

Local real estate agent Kristie Wells brought together local experts in defensible space, home hardening, insurance and risk mitigation to provide property owners with clear, practical information and actionable guidance to reduce wildfire risk and protect their homes.

Attendees heard from the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, State Farm, Peyton Insurance and others.

If you weren’t able to attend, here are the resources to get you up to speed:

Defensible space and home hardening

North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Fuels Mitigation Specialist Ryan Dominguez provided an overview of defensible space zones, including components of each zone, from shrub spacing to firewood storage.

One big takeaway was the importance of the zone within the first five feet of a house.

Dominguez touched on features within this zone where embers can ignite homes, such as decks, vents and eaves, highlighting home-hardening and defensible-space opportunities.

The Fuels Mitigation Specialist also explained fire behavior and how it moves from pine needles to ladder fuels and up, emphasizing the role of the defensible space zones in slowing the fire and allowing firefighters to defend your home.

The district offers free defensible space inspections that can help homeowners identify areas around their homes that need improvement.

To schedule an inspection, visit: nltfpd.org/defensible-space

The district also offers a free chipping service. Waste Management offers Incline Village and Crystal Bay residents a yard waste disposal service for pine needles and other debris during two periods each year.

For information on chipping and Waste Management’s yard waste disposal program, visit nltfpd.org/curbside-chipping.

For other resources on wildfire preparedness, visit nltfpd.org/preparedness

Residents also learned about NLTFPD’s mitigation project, the “Worm” Project, which is creating a forest buffer around neighborhoods above Highway 431 in Incline Village.

Becoming a Fire Adapted and Firewise Community

When it comes to homeowners preparing for wildfire, the Fire Adapted Communities program and Firewise USA provide a neighborhood collaborative approach and a framework to help communities prepare for and coexist with wildfire.

Kelsey Stalker with the Tahoe Resource Conservation District explained the importance of collective action.

“If you’re doing it alone, the fire doesn’t really care very much,” Stalker said. “We all need to do it as a community to help create that fuel break in the wildland urban interface.”

Stalker informed attendees that TRCD assists communities with Firewise USA applications, mapping, and coordinates Firewise communities across the entire Tahoe Basin.

The basin currently has about 86 Firewise communities and 115 Fire Adapted Communities.

What’s the difference between the two? Both follow similar principles in preparing communities for wildfire; however, Firewise USA is a formal, nationally recognized certification program administered by the National Fire Protection Association.

Having a Firewise USA certification can offer additional benefits, such as value with insurance companies.

Incline Village resident Tom Millhoff shared firsthand how he started a Firewise USA and Fire Adapted Community in his neighborhood on Upper Tyner in Incline Village.

“We’re surrounded by forests on three sides. We’ve got two canyons. I’ve always been a little concerned about fire up in our neighborhood,” he said.

He offered tips and steps for creating these communities in neighborhoods, including block parties, social gatherings, and getting the word out through signs, door-knocking, or online community groups.

His neighborhood also worked with the local fire department and sought help from TRCD with the Firewise application.

To learn more about becoming a Fire Adapted Community or getting assistance with a Firewise application, visit tahoercd.org/fire-adapted-communities-program.

Insurance

Britney Bladel with State Farm and Mike Peyton with Peyton Insurance Agency reviewed the current state of the insurance market, noting that carriers are increasingly evaluating defensible space, roofing materials, vegetation management, and aging infrastructure.

They discussed a shift towards the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s (IBHS) standards when it comes to insurance companies evaluating properties. IBHS is an independent nonprofit that uses scientific research to inform the insurance industry.

A challenge for condo and townhome communities in Incline Village and Crystal Bay is increased scrutiny from insurance companies due to aging HVAC systems, electrical wiring, plumbing, roofing, and deferred maintenance concerns.

For the full event recap, visit: inclinetogether.com/wildfire-preparedness-seminar-draws-strong-community-response-in-incline-village/