It’s Defensible Space Season in Tahoe Donner — Now What?

It’s Defensible Space Season in Tahoe Donner — Now What?

Association News, Blog Featured, Featured, Member News
May 15

by Will Apotheker

Defensible space season has arrived, and it’s a critical time for all homeowners, whether you’re in the 2025 inspection zone or not, to take thoughtful steps to protect your property and our greater community. At Tahoe Donner, we take pride in our Firewise Community recognition and industry-leading defensible space policies that set the standard for wildfire preparedness. By staying informed and proactive, every homeowner plays an important role in helping to reduce risk and enhance safety throughout the community.

The Tahoe Donner Defensible Space team is here to help you navigate this process and achieve compliance to ensure the safety of your property and our community. Here’s a breakdown of how the process works, what you can expect if you are in the zone, and what you should be doing even if you are not in this year’s inspection cycle.

Map of the Tahoe Donner Defensible Space Inspection Zone Cycle

The 2025 inspection cycle will begin at Fjord Drive and work south along Northwoods Blvd.

IF YOU ARE IN THE 2025 INSPECTION ZONE:

If your home is one of the nearly 1,000 in our six-year inspection cycle, we have already contacted you (view outreach letter here). The most important thing to remember is to please wait for your inspection report and for your trees to be marked before hiring a contractor to conduct any work on your property. Contractors can use your report as a checklist of the work that needs to be completed. 

Here is how the process works:

Step 1: Initial Inspection

  • Our team will begin conducting property inspections at the end of May. We will then send you a report with detailed instructions on how to clear your property. You can access that report by visiting: https://www.defensiblespacereport.org/tahoedonner.
  • You will need your access code to view the report, which will be provided to you once the inspection is completed.
  • Once you receive that report, there is a 45-day window to get in compliance. 

Step 2: The Clean-Up

Step 3: Re-inspection

  • You can request a re-inspection once the work is done. Otherwise, we will re-inspect your property after 45 days. If you are in compliance, you will receive a compliance letter acknowledging the work, and you are done! 
  • We are here to help. Let us know if you have any questions. We are happy to set up an on-site meeting to show you exactly what needs to be done. 

IF YOU ARE NOT IN THE 2025 INSPECTION ZONE

Even if your home is not in this year’s inspection cycle, continuous maintenance is still required for fire safety. Review TDA’s defensible space requirements and complete any needed work, such as removing pine needles, clearing space around any propane tanks, chimneys, roofs and eaves, and stacking firewood and lumber at a safe distance from your home. You can always request an out-of-cycle inspection and make sure to use the resources available from Truckee Fire. 

Our goal is to support every homeowner in completing this important work. Last season, all but one property achieved compliance by year’s end, demonstrating the strong commitment of our community. By working together, we can continue to prioritize safety and reduce wildfire risk throughout Tahoe Donner.

If you have any questions or need further clarification, please call (530) 587-9432 or email defensiblespace@tahoedonner.com.

Important Links + Resources:

 

BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE EFFORTS: