Prepare for Wildfire

Understand what YOU need TO DO

  • In the event of an Emergency / Evacuation.

  • To make your home and your immediate surrounding area more resilient to wildfires:

    • Home Hardening

    • Defensible Space

Homeowners Checklist

Emergency Notification Systems

  • Placer Alert Emergency notification registration for Placer County residents.

  • Tahoe Alert Emergency notification registration for residents and visitors throughout the Tahoe region.

  • Watch Duty Providing real time wildfire maps and alerts.

  • Hi-Lo Sirens The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has installed “Hi-Lo” sirens on all their patrol cars and will only use them for evacuations. Immediately initiate your evacuation plan if you hear it.

  • Use Common Sense If you smell or see smoke and it looks like it is heading your way, don’t wait for an evacuation notification if you feel unsafe.

Evacuation Plan and your Go Bag

Be sure to build in “Backup” contingencies to your Evacuation Plans. Wildfires can be unpredictable.

  • Essential Guide for Wildfire Evacuation Guidance for safe and efficient evacuation during wildfires.

  • Wildfire Action Plan How to get you and your family ready for potential wildfires.

  • CAL FIRE firePLANNER Prepare your home and family for wildfires with personalized checklists.

  • Animal Emergency Preparedness Information from the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe.

Evacuation Prep Consider what to do and what to take depending on how much time do you have?

Survival Flash Drive Protect yourself by scanning important documents and storing them on a flash drive which is password protected and keep it in a safe location.

Home Hardening

Taking measures to harden … prepare … your home can help increase its likelihood of survival when wildfire strikes.

“Hardening a Home” is the process of reducing a home’s risk to wildfire by using non-combustible building materials, keeping the area around your home free of debris and taking steps to prevent embers from entering the home. Structures ignite during wildfires as a result of one or more of these three wildfire exposures: embers, radiant heat, and direct flame contact.

CalFire’s Low Cost Retrofit List

Wildfire Retrofit Guide Developed by multiple agencies and educational institutions focused on Living with Fire in Tahoe.

Home Ignition Checklist

Defensible Space

The first line of defense for your home against wildfire.

A barrier to slow or halt the progress of fire that would otherwise engulf your property. The intensity of wildfire fuel management varies within the 100-foot perimeter of the home, with more intense fuels’ reduction occurring closer to your home. Consider breaking down management of fuel reduction by “Zones”.

Zone 0 - Immediate Zone
The home and the area 0-5’ from the furthest attached exterior point of the home; defined as a non-combustible area.  Science tells us this is the most important zone to take immediate action on as it is the most vulnerable to embers. START WITH THE HOUSE ITSELF then move into the landscaping section of the Immediate Zone.

Zone 1 - Intermediate Zone
5-30’ from the furthest exterior point of the home. Landscaping/hardscaping- employing careful landscaping or creating breaks that can help influence and decrease fire behavior.

Zone 2 - Extended Zone
30-100 feet, out to 200 feet. Landscaping – the goal here is not to eliminate fire but to interrupt fire’s path and keep flames smaller and on the ground.

  • Create A Buffer Zone This space is key to slowing or stopping wildfire spread and protecting your home from embers, flames, or heat. It also gives firefighters a safer area to defend your property.

  • Defensible Space - CalFire Maintain your property zones, especially in relations to trees and shrubs.