Participate
Your Defensible Space
Mitigation Efforts Count
Al Tahoe is the largest nationally recognized Firewise USA district in the Tahoe Basin with 1520 parcels and 1611 dwelling units. Over the past 2 years, the Al Tahoe Community performed over $2,500,000 worth of wildfire risk reduction with only 5% of our residents reporting their defensible space, and home hardening efforts. If the district is going to reach its goal of reducing combustible materials by 50% in the next 3 years and maintain our national Firewise recognition, we need 100% of our residents to report all of the hours spent raking pine needles, documenting the number of cans or bags of combustible fuels they removed from their property, and the amount of money that was spent to improve the survivability of their homes.
The Caldor Fire was our “wake-up call” to continue to work together and take action now to prevent the loss of life and property in the future.
Al Tahoe Firewise Time Recording Q and A
Q: Why do Al Tahoe Community members need to record their defensible space clearing efforts?
A. In order for Al Tahoe Firewise to maintain national Firewise USA recognition status, our group must submit proof annually that we have completed at least $43,380 worth of defensible space/home hardening efforts to reduce wildfire risk in our community.
Q: How is the $43,380 worth of effort calculated
A. Firewise USA calculates the work based on a predetermined volunteer rate (currently $31.80) and multiplies that by the number of parcels in our Al Tahoe community (1,520 parcels).
Q: How do I record/show my work for this report?
A. We ask that community members complete a “Time and Expense” sheet showing their completed work or educational outreach. The time sheets can be found here: Al Tahoe Firewise Time and Expense Sheet
Q: What kind of work counts towards creating defensible space and home hardening?
A: There are many examples. Most commonly, they include clearing brush, trees, and pine needles but can also include attending educational/community events or making home hardening improvements to your house. A more comprehensive list can be found here:
Demo House
A demonstration on how to prepare defensible space around an Al Tahoe resident’s home was conducted on our “first” clean up day in 2020. A senior/disabled homeowner’s property was selected to have their property “hardened” and made “fire resistant” by the Tahoe Douglas Zephyr Fire Department and South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue crew members.
This “Demo” house provided residents with an example of what neighbors can do to provide defensible space around their homes to protect life and property in the event of a wildfire.
Thank you, Crews, for the tree and brush removal, trimming, thinning, and chipping, the removal of lumber, wood piles and combustible
materials around the home, and the raking of “3 dump load trucks” full of pine needles and debris from the yard and roof of this property.
Time and Expense Forms
Many of you and your neighbors have already started doing important risk reduction work around your houses. Numerous bags and cans of raked pine needles have been seen outside your houses that are ready for pickup by our garbage company. It is important that you document these efforts for our report.
Your Al Tahoe Team Leaders have developed a “Time and Expense” form for you to use to record your hard work. This form is available below or upon request at altahoefirewise@gmail.com.