The Truckee Fire Protection District is working with the local community to get ready for wildfire season. The region officially went into fire season on June 26, and a burn ban went into effect.
"We have a burn ban that limits the use of wood and charcoal," said Eric Horntvedt, Wildfire Prevention Manager for TFPD. "So even on your private property, no more campfires, no more charcoal barbeques. Stick to those gas fireplaces, your wood pellet smokers, those types of devices that are still safe to use."
Fire officials are reminding residents to think about defensible space around their homes, and the fire district will help get rid of all that green waste.
"Do your defensible space work, remove your shrubs, limb up your trees, remove those smaller trees," Horntvedt said. "Pile it all right the edge of the street, and the fire district has this huge grapple truck that comes and picks it up for free."
Truckee taxpayers approved a wildfire prevention tax, and those dollars are helping with all kinds of wildfire prevention efforts, including thinning some of the forest areas most at risk.
"We're partnering up and putting together tens or hundreds of acres of forest treatments at a time," Horntvedt said. "Using hand crews, chainsaws, forestry equipment, and really going after wildfire and forest health resilience, so coupling that to get that best practice into the future."
The current wildfire prevention tax is only in place for eight years, but the district has long-term strategies designed to protect the entire community.
"We're partnering up with all of our land managers and other agencies, thinking about forest health, wildfire resilience, and what we need to do to set our forests up for long-term success," Horntvedt said. "And that's not just for fire, but also for insects, disease, drought, tree mortality. We really want to see a wildfire resilient and healthy Truckee community."
You can schedule green waste pickup or a defensible space assessment on TFPD's website: https://www.truckeefire.org/
