FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2019

Wildfire Pre Attack Plans Funded by Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation for the Tahoe Basin

The Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation is happy to announce a donation of $18,057 to the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) to enhance wildfire suppression capabilities on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. This donation will result in expansion of strategic and tactical Wildfire Pre Attack plans covering the entire Lake Tahoe Basin. Pre Attack Plans help first responders by identifying critical infrastructure, vulnerable population groups, evacuation routes, water sources, Temporary Refuge Areas, and locations where forests have been thinned before a wildfire strikes.

The Tahoe RCD provides the technical expertise for the project. “Multiple fire and law enforcement agencies, the Tahoe RCD, and the Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team have been working together for over 2 years developing Wildfire Pre Attack Plans around Lake Tahoe”, said Nicole Cartwright, Tahoe RCD Executive Director. “Through this donation the entire Tahoe Basin will now be covered with Pre Attack Plans for first responders.”

The additional Wildfire Pre Attack Plan maps will cover North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District (NLTFPD), Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (TDFPD), and the federal lands protected by the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit in Nevada.

“Our local communities, economy and the natural scenic beauty of Lake Tahoe are at risk of a large and damaging wildland fire,” said TDFPD Fire Chief Scott Baker. “Pre Attack Plans bring multiple agencies together to strategize large areas before a wildfire strikes making for a more efficient and effective response.”

The Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation has focused its efforts on fire prevention and safety for the past two years. Last year, Parasol awarded $42,500 from their Community Fund to fund the last two AlertTahoe cameras in the Tahoe Basin and seeded an endowment fund with $55,000 to maintain the cameras in perpetuity. “At Parasol we are dedicated to enhancing and preserving the quality of life we all enjoy at Lake Tahoe,” said Claudia Andersen, Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation CEO. “Every year we see more and more communities impacted by wildfire throughout the west. That is why we are proud to support this effort to provide our local fire agencies and first responders with advanced planning capabilities in order to protect our future.”

“Pre Attack Plans provide a strategic and tactical advantage to first responders during a wildfire in order to better protect communities at risk,” said NLTFPD Fire Chief Ryan Sommers. “It is critical we do everything we can to reduce the size and severity of wildfires, and we applaud the efforts of the Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation for their commitment to fire safety.”

Three Wildfire Pre Attack Plan maps have already been completed on the California side of Lake Tahoe, and planning is already underway with the City of South Lake Tahoe and Heavenly Mountain Resort through a CAL FIRE grant.

“Any large wildfire in Tahoe will bring first responders from out of the area to assist local, state and federal agencies; that is why we are producing these plans in a geo-referenced, digital format so out of area resources can gain a tactical advantage before arriving,” said Chris Anthony, CAL FIRE Assistant Chief. “We must do everything we can to protect communities from wildfire, and this one part of a larger strategy to do just that.”

Contact: Megan Weiss at 775-298-0188 or Meganw@parasol.org

Chris Anthony, CAL FIRE at 530-708-2706 or chris.anthony@fire.ca.gov

Nicole Shaw, Tahoe RCD at 530-539-9157 or nshaw@tahoercd.org