We made it through the area’s “atmospheric rivers” this past winter, now comes a new set of issues with snow melt and runoff. The problem with the runoff is we cannot accurately predict the water flow or runoff.

With this, we are asking you to be prepared, yet again for another bought with Mother Nature.

We still have sand bags at all three fire stations as well as our administration office. The locations are:

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Station #11 – 875 Tanager St., Incline Village

Station #12 – 14 Cal Neva Drive, Crystal Bay

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Station #13 – 965 Mount Rose Highway, Incline Village

Administration Office – 866 Oriole Way, Incline Village

The sand bags can be filled at the Washoe County Maintenance Yard, 625B Mount Rose Highway. The sand pile is located on the left side of the entrance by the loader buckets.

If you have a flooding situation at or near your residence, we recommend contacting your insurance company as well as a restoration service to assess and mitigate damage(s).

Also, as we all work on cleaning up our property of pine needles and debris, please take advantage of our chipping and defensible space evaluation services beginning May 15.

You can sign up on-line at http://www.nltfpd.net select “fuels management,” and then “defensible space” or “curbside chipping,” or call 775/831-0351, ext. 8118 and leave your name, phone number, address and service requested.

Please note: Tree removal permits will only be issued to property owners that have or will have adequate defensible space.

A defensible space evaluation will be completed for your property listing any remaining work items that are preventing your property from meeting code standards for defensible space. Tree removal and defensible space cleanup work can be done concurrently and tree removal permits are free.

Waste Management also offers services to help clean up your property with their Curbside Yard Waste Recycling Collection program from May 1 – July 21 and Oct. 2–27, 2017. Visit inclinevillage.wm.com for more information and details.

Ryan Sommers is the fire chief for the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District.