TRUCKEE, Calif. — Community members and local organizations came together Tuesday to host the Fire Ready Truckee Tahoe event at the Community Recreation Center, offering residents critical resources and education about wildfire preparedness.

More than 10 local and regional organizations — including the Truckee Fire Protection District, Nevada County’s Firewise Coalition and the Middle Truckee River Watershed Forest Partnership — set up tents and information tables at the center.

The event began with a panel of speakers addressing topics such as wildfire evacuation readiness, rising insurance costs and fire prevention. Afterward, attendees engaged directly with organization representatives during their resource fair.

The event was the vision of Heather Dawson, Firewise leader for the Pine Forest neighborhood. She said she was inspired after noticing a widespread lack of understanding around wildfire safety.

“People started avoiding me when I brought up fire safety,” Dawson said. “Eventually someone told me, ‘Heather, it’s because we’re scared.’ 

That’s when it became clear to Dawson: the fear stemmed from uncertainty and a lack of understanding. She explained many residents know they need to meet fire safety standards or evacuate when ordered but don’t fully understand the reasons behind those directives.

After Dawson secured a $1,000 grant from the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, she began reaching out to local leaders in January. As word spread, more people got involved, and the number of participating organizations steadily grew. Dawson said she only provided the vision — it was the broader community that came together to organize the event and bring it to life.

“We can be ready, we can be prepared, we don’t need to be scared.” Dawson said.