Fire Agency Offers Tips to Prepare Homes Against Wildfires

The Truckee Fire Protection District (TFPD) wants to give the public tips for how to prevent wildfires and protect your home this summer.

Although they said we have experience significant moisture this past spring, it's lead to excessive grass growth which can be fuel for fires this season.

Here's a list of ways you can protect your house from fires, per TFPD:

1. Lean, Clean and Green Zone.  A defensible space of 100 feet around your home is required by law.  Clearing an area 30 feet immediately surrounding your home is critical.  Remove flammable vegetation. 

2.  Reduced Fuel Zone in the remaining 70 feet.  Spacing between plants and trees improves the chance of stopping a wildfire before it destroys your home.

3.  Remove plants beneath trees.  These plants act like a ladder allowing the fire to climb into the trees.

4.  Remove tree branches at least 6 feet off the ground.  This will prevent small ground fires from jumping into the trees.

5.  Move wood piles at least 30 feet from all structures or cover with a fire safe tarp, available at Truckee Fire.  Fires that get into these piles are difficult or impossible to stop the spread of fire to the home.

6.  Remove pine needles off of your roof.  Embers get into these pine needles and can burn down your house.

7.  Cut the Grass.  These light fuels allow fire to spread very quickly.

They also have a home checklist at readyforwildfire.org, under the "defensible" tab.

They mentioned residential debris burning is approved only on designated days with a burn permit, which are available from any fire station.

You can also remove debris from yards with Green Bags.

For more information, call the Truckee Fire Protection District at (530) 582-7850.

Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District says someone burned weeds and started a small brush fire on Jeppson Lane on Friday. It wants to remind everyone that burn season is closed. 

(Truckee Fire Protection District contributed to this report).