2021 education series on how to prepare for wildfire now available via video Zoom links
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 01/20/2022 - 3:11pm
As 2022 begins to take shape, this is a great opportunity to consider preparing your home, family, property and yourself for wildfire. Begin your wildfire preparation journey by viewing the many educational workshops that were presented during the 2021 Lake Tahoe Wildfire Awareness Campaign.
This campaign lasted from May through October 2021 and it featured different workshops on how residents can prepare for wildfire and reduce their wildfire risk.
“The 2021 wildfires in our region were eye-opening,” said Jamie Roice-Gomes, manager of the Living With Fire Program. “They reinforce the importance of preparing for wildfire now and these educational workshops can help to either begin or refine those efforts.”
Learn more by going here or viewing the LTWAC Zoom links below:
Firewise Landscaping
Plan your landscaping from Plant Diagnostician, Wendy Hanson Mazet with University of Nevada, Reno Extension. She reviewed different plants to use around the home to improve your defensible space.
Wildfire Evacuation Preparedness
Learn from Carson City Fire Department’s Deputy Emergency Manager, Jason Danen, about emergency notification systems such as Code Red and other forms of communication to the public during a wildfire.
Skyland Fire Adapted Communities’ leader and Douglas County CERT member, Ann Grant, discussed items to prep in an evacuation-go bag and a stay box.
Living With Fire Program Manager, Jamie Roice-Gomes, reviewed the Living With Fire Program website features to aid with evacuation preparation in your region.
Wildfire Smoke and Health
Learn about wildfire smoke and its potential health impacts. Chris Smallcomb, National Weather Service – Reno office meteorologist and public information officer, discussed smoke forecasting and models utilized to predict smoke.
Brendan Schnieder, air quality specialist with the Washoe County Health District’s Air Quality Management Division reviewed wildfire smoke, the health impacts and what you can do to reduce the impact of wildfire smoke on your health.
Home Hardening Q&A
Dr. Steve Quarles, University of California Cooperative Extension Advisor Emeritus and the retired Chief Scientist for Wildfire and Durability, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety Research Center answered Home Hardening questions. The Q&A session focused on home hardening, or building or retrofitting homes to withstand wildfire. To watch a former presentation on this topic, view the link here.
Prescribed fire in Tahoe and Nevada
Listen to a workshop about prescribed fire and projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin and Nevada. Speakers include: Keegan Schafer, fuels management officer with Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, and Duncan Leao, forest fuels and vegetation program manager from the USDA Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
