Defensible Space
TAHOE DONNER IS PROUD TO BE A FIREWISE COMMUNITY. TO READ MORE ABOUT LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE CALDOR FIRE, CLICK HERE.
DID YOU KNOW INSURANCE COMPANIES OFFER DISCOUNTS TO PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE FIREWISE COMMUNITY? CHECK OUT THIS LIST OF INSURANCE COMPANIES THAT OFFER FIREWISE DISCOUNTS.
US Forest Service records show that over the last 35 years, over 150 fires burned in or within a two-mile radius of Tahoe Donner. Defensible space is your property’s frontline of defense against wildfire. Creating and maintaining defensible space around your home can dramatically increase your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire and improve the safety of firefighters defending your property. CAL FIRE statistics show that properties in compliance with defensible space requirements are five times more likely to survive a wildfire. The Tahoe Donner Forestry Department is intent on helping homeowners bring their properties into compliance with state, local and association fire safety standards.
The above photos were taken from the same spot roughly one century apart in the Feather River Canyon, which is the area the Dixie Fire accelerated through in 2021 given the overly dense tree cover. Forests in the Tahoe area are similarly over crowded, posing a major wildfire hazard.
A fuel reduction zone is a zone created through the use of strategic vegetation thinning that mimics what would occur from a natural wildfire cycle (fuel reduction efforts clearly did not happen in the Feather River Canyon given the crowded forest stand in 1993). Fuel reduction zones are critical in helping prevent the rapid spread of wildfire, but they also contribute to ongoing forest restoration efforts that preserve important natural resources and biodiversity in the landscape, creating healthier and stronger forests that more closely resemble a “natural” state.
Similarly, creating defensible space to protect your property’s structure(s) means your home has a better chance of surviving a wildfire. To see defensible space in action, watch the following video on defensible space and structure protection during the 2021 Dixie Fire. For lessons learned from the Caldor Fire, click here.
Check out these insurance companies that give discounts for maintaining defensible space and being a part of a Firewise Community.
HOME HARDENING
In addition to defensible space, home hardening has been found to be effective in reducing ember ignitions on and around structures. Embers are small, flying, burning material that may be driven by wind up to a mile or more away from a wildfire. More that 80% of homes lost during wildfire events are due to ignition from embers. The State Board of Forestry and the Office of the State Fire Marshal have laid out new guidelines for home hardening that should be followed by homeowners. Forestry staff are available to provide recommendations based on these guidelines.
Watch the following video on defensible space from the National Fire Protection Association:
Watch the following video for more information on defensible space and home hardening:
Visit the CAL FIRE web page for defensible space information.
Defensible space and home hardening tie in with Tahoe Donner’s forest management practices to achieve community wildfire protection. The Forestry Department incorporates forest health and wildfire protection objectives in coordination with local and state agencies’ rules and restrictions.
For more information on what the Forestry Department is doing, click here.
INSPECTIONS
The Forestry Department assesses each property every six years for defensible space compliance. Areas subject to inspection in 2023 include properties located on Andermatt Lane, Wolfgang Road, Pinnacle Loop, Alder Creek Road, Oberwald Way, Parsenn Road, Stockholm Way, Fjord Road, St. Moritz Lane, Hillside Drive, Gyrfalcon Street, Solvang Way, Staghorn Drive, Oslo Drive, Winter Avenue, Landeau Lane, Julian Avenue, Muhlebach Way, Roundhill Drive, Hansel Avenue, and Pathway Avenue.
Defensible space inspections were conducted on these properties in the fall of 2022. Notices of required defensible space work will be sent to property owners in winter 2023.
To view the inspection cycle, click here. To view a full list of defensible space property requirements, click here.
If your property is not in this year’s defensible space cycle but you would like to learn how you could improve your defensible space, please email Tahoe Donner Forestry and request an out-of-cycle inspection.
Tahoe Donner Forestry Department | (530) 587-9432 | defensiblespace@tahoedonner.com
GREEN WASTE
Tahoe Donner Chipping Program has ended for the year. The Chipping Program operates from June 1 to Oct. 1. Eligible material may be placed curbside for Tahoe Donner chipping crews to remove. This is done street by street on a 2- or 3-week visitation cycle. No permit/tag is required. Please abide by the eligible chipping requirements.
Green waste disposal is also available through green waste dumpsters, green waste carts, self-hauls and contractor hauls. Many of these programs do not operate during winter. To learn more about the most up-to-date green waste disposal options, click here.
To view green waste options in the 2022 Defensible Space Program Brochure, click here.
Need a Contractor or Local Business?
Looking for help? Check out our business directory for local businesses, including defensible space services, that serve the Tahoe Donner community.