The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, in partnership with the Incline Village General Improvement District, is launching the 'Worm' Wildfire Fuels Mitigation Project.
The project is an effort to reduce wildfire risk and improve safety in the wildland-urban interface above Highway 431 (also known as Mt. Rose Highway).
The project, named “The Worm” for its winding shape, covers 142.6 acres of IVGID-owned land.
It will establish a 132-foot-wide buffer zone of intensively managed vegetation between forest areas and residential neighborhoods.
Phase 1, covering 64.5 acres, is scheduled to begin the week of July 14 and take approximately four to five weeks to complete.
Phase 2 will treat an additional 78.1 acres, with completion expected in the summer of 2026.
The goal is to reduce the amount of brush while retaining 10 to 15 percent of native vegetation to preserve the natural forest appearance and support wildlife habitat.
The fuel break is intended to serve as a line of defense in a wildfire, aiding firefighter access and reducing fire intensity near homes.
Burnbot Inc., a company that reduces wildfire risk,, will begin operations next week using remotely operated mastication machines.
The equipment, which is low impact, is part of a controlled and coordinated strategy.
 “Please do not be alarmed—these efforts are part of a planned and carefully managed wildfire mitigation strategy,” North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District stated.
A publicly available map shows the full scope of the treatment corridor, which winds through key areas above Incline Village and supports broader wildfire preparedness efforts in the region.
