Reno Gazette Journal
As part of an on-going effort to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires in the Lake Tahoe Basin, the U.S. Forest Service today is conducting prescribed fires on the lake’s west shore.

Crews will be burning about 30 acres in the Ward Canyon area and another 20 acres in Meeks Bay.

Residents and travelers can expect to see smoke from the fire areas, officials said.
Forest Service officials said they will try to minimize impacts of smoke on nearby communities.

Tahoe Bonanza

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — A polite suggestion from local fire districts.

That’s all defensible space was for years in the Tahoe basin — clear your property of pine needles, dead or unhealthy trees and highly flammable brush, because we’re asking you to. Well, not anymore.

In the same week the California side of the North Shore started to enforce defensible space — following up inspections with citations and fees of up to $500 for homeowners who fail to comply — Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons Monday signed legislation requiring property owners in the Lake Tahoe Basin to maintain defensible space to reduce the spread of wildfires.

Gibbons said the measure — Senate Bill 94— was a product of the bi-state fire commission formed after the 2007 Angora fire, which destroyed more than 250 homes in South Lake Tahoe.

“It will enable homeowners to better prepare for catastrophic wildfires that occur in our forests — especially in the urban interface,” Gibbons said.

The bill mandates defensible space and gives fire districts the ability to enforce that mandate — as the North Tahoe Fire Protection District is doing with a fine system which punishes owners, mainly in the Cedar Flat and Agate Bay areas.

In Nevada, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Chief Michael Brown said giving that power to the state was important because it puts teeth in the law small local jurisdictions haven’t had the ability to enforce.

“The biggest thing is we’ve got to make some property owners take care of their property,” Brown said.

He said the law applies to both public and private property, including state lands and commercial buildings.

Brown said he doesn’t yet know if homeowners would be fined for a failure to comply, adding he hopes it doesn’t come to that.

“Most property owners have been very compliant to requests for fuels reduction,” Brown said.

Dale Smith, chair of the NLTFPD’s board of directors, said he sees the law as useful in Incline Village and Crystal Bay.

“I think we’ll certainly benefit from it,” Smith said. “In the past if we had identified a high-risk site — we had no mechanism to force anyone to clean it up.”

Residents interested in setting up a defensible space evaluation can call NLTFPD at (775) 831-0351.

Bonanza News Service reporter Geoff Dornan also contributed to this report.

Tahoe Bonanza

TAHOE CITY, Calif. — Defensible space isn’t an option, it’s the law, and it’s going to be enforced starting this summer in some parts of the North Shore.

Clearing your property of flammable vegetation and pine needles to protect against wildfire has been law in California for four years, but until this year local agencies have taken the approach of educating the public instead of issuing citations when a home doesn’t come into compliance.

Stewart McMorrow, the Forester for the North Tahoe Fire Protection District, said with only about 10 percent compliance in North Tahoe, now is the time to enforce the law, with monetary fines if need be.

“For the past few years we’ve been doing inspections as an educational measure,” McMorrow said. “But now if someone isn’t in compliance, they’ll have thirty days after an inspection before fines come down, they’ll be on notice something needs to get done.”

North Tahoe is partnering with the California Department of Fire to issue citations to residents who aren’t in compliance with defensible space. Inspections will begin next week of both Agate Bay and Cedar Flat on the North Shore, and if a house isn’t in compliance, they’ll be issued an inspection notice and given thirty days after signing that notice to make the needed adjustments. If those fixes aren’t made, a first-time fine of $100 will be issued by Cal Fire. A second offense will garner a $500 citation, while a third will qualify as a misdemeanor offense.

“It’s been two years since the Angora fire,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Doug Rinella, stationed in Carnelian Bay. “It’s time now to enforce the law.”

Under California Public Resources Code 4291, fire districts are given the ability to issue citations for homeowners who do not maintain defensible space on their property.

Rinella, who responds to wildfires which threaten homes each fire season, said homes with good defensible space are much easier and safer for firefighters to protect.

“A house in compliance is safer for firefighters to protect,” Rinella said. “If it isn’t, it almost isn’t worth it if a homeowner hasn’t done any work on their own.”

McMorrow said defensible space is critical to fire prevention in the basin, and said good defensible space compliments the fuels reduction work done by the NTFPD in the area.

“It’s really all so interconnected, the work we do and the work homeowners can do on their own property,” McMorrow said. “You can potentially save the rest of your neighborhood by having good defensible space.”

McMorrow said inspections are expected to start Monday.

Homeowners who need more information on defensible space — how to perform it, how to ask for an inspection or how to mitigate vegetation on their property — can stop by the fire district’s Tahoe City station for literature and questions.

While North Tahoe and Cal Fire are currently the only two entities on the North Shore enforcing defensible space, they could be joined by Nevada counterpart North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District in Incline.

A Nevada Senate Bill similar to PRC 4291 — SB 94 — was passed through the state’s legislature last week and sent to Gov. Jim Gibbons for final approval.

If Gibbons passes the bill, North Lake Asst. Fire Chief Greg McKay said Chief Mike Brown may engage the fire district’s board to discuss the agency’s options. To this point, defensible space is only required for homeowners in Nevada who are seeking tree permits or are building a new home. Defensible space evaluations have been set to educate the public on fire safety.

Brown, who is on vacation, was unavailable for comment on this story.

Tahoe Bonanza

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — When Gov. Jim Gibbons signed Senate Bill 94 into law this week, he gave teeth to Nevada’s basin fire districts.

Instead of providing defensible space evaluations and hoping residents and businesses follow through on their suggestions, fire districts can now lean on state law to enforce their recommendations.

We think the law is crucial to fire mitigation in Incline and Crystal Bay, an insurance policy against folks who don’t quite get defensible space.

Give credit to the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District — for years they’ve worked tirelessly to educate the public on the importance of clearing defensible space around their homes. It’s a campaign which has earned the admiration of other basin fire agencies.

But education only reaches so far and where the schooling doesn’t take, sometimes a firm hand will.

We especially hope the message sent by Gibbons reaches second homeowners who don’t see the need to protect a residence they call home infrequently.

Untended homes pose a major risk to neighbors who have done their defensible space, putting entire neighborhoods at risk because one person chooses not to act responsibly.

Part of living in the West is wildfire — and we saw firsthand the destruction and heartache caused by the Angora fire in 2007 on the South Shore.

This bill recognizes that reality and makes living responsibly with fire the law of the land. To ignore defensible space in the first place was foolish, dangerously ignorant at best. To do so now is illegal, a wise move by our state government.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Gov. Jim Gibbons Monday signed legislation that requires property owners in the Tahoe Basin to maintain defensible space to reduce the spread of wildfires.

Gibbons said the measure was a product of the bistate fire commission formed after the Angora Fire which destroyed more than 200 homes on the California side of the basin. It is the same as the proposal being considered in the California Legislature for that state’s share of the basin.

“It will enable homeowners to better prepare for catastrophic wildfires that occur in our forests — especially in the urban interface,” he said.

He said the legislation is designed to standardize the rules for clearing defensible space around homes and other structures, eliminating the “countervailing policies ever so prevalent in the Tahoe Basin.”

“There’s been so much resistance to anything man made in our forests that catastrophic fires can neither be controlled nor prevented without this legislation,” he said.

SB94 mandates that property owners including public entities clear defensible space and gives the state the power to enforce the rules.

North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Chief Michael Brown said giving that power to the state was important because it puts teeth in the law small local jurisdictions haven’t had the ability to enforce.

“The biggest thing is we’ve got to make some property owners take care of their property.”

Brown said the law applies to both public and private property including state lands.

Conservation and Natural Resources Director Allen Biaggi said the legislation requires the law be enforced by the state fire marshal, the forestry division and the basin’s fire chiefs.

Watch our video presentation on how we integrate BMP and Defensible Space measures to protect your home and bring you into compliance with TRPA BMP’s.  Zephyr Companies BMP Video

Zephyr Companies is celebrating our grand opening Cinco de Mayo at our 590 Lakeshore Blvd. office in Incline Village. We will be hosting a party from 4-7pm, join us for Mexican food, beverages and fun! Enter our raffle for some great prizes and bring your friends. Meet the crew and staff and sign up for free site evaluations for BMP’s and Defensible Space!

Zephyr Companies Tahoe BMP

Zephyr Companies announces a one-stop shop approach to BMP’s and Defensible Space! Our BMP Certified Contractors and licensed field crew works in cooperation with TRPA and the Tahoe fire protection districts to provide homeowners free site evaluations and cost estimates to complete the work. We are coming to your neighborhood soon- sign up to join our cost saving neighborhood program today!

• Free evaluation and cost estimate for services
• Avoid costly TRPA enforcement action
• Guaranteed BMP Certificate with our site work
• Protect your home against wildfire danger
• Add home value and expedite a future home sale
• Open up potential views and sun exposure
• Safeguard your homeowners insurance policy
• Mitigate erosion and protect Lake Tahoe clarity
• Financing terms available, MC/VISA accepted
• Defensible Space rebates up to $1,000 through NVFSC

Incline Village Neighborhood Evaluation Dates

• April 13 – April 19 Crystal Bay
• April 20 – April 26 Mill Creek, Lakeview, Lakeshore Blvd
• April 27 – May 3 Central Village & The Woods
• May 4 – May 10 Ponderosa & Lower Tyner
• May 11 – May 17 Championship & Mtn Golf Courses
• May 18 – 24 Ski Way & Eastern Slope
• May 25 – 31 Upper Tyner, Jennifer, Apollo

Evaluations for Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, Agate Bay, Cedar Flat, Carnelian Bay, Dollar Point, Lake Forest and Tahoe City communities will begin April 13- call to set a free appointment today! (775) 298-3285