The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board adopted a resolution supporting 2013 Lake Tahoe Wildfire Awareness Week and gave special recognition to the efforts of the Tahoe Basin Fire Chiefs at its meeting last week in Incline Village. 

Wildfire Awareness Week, currently ongoing, is held in the spring each year to help remind homeowners that they are the key to keeping communities safe. Homeowners can substantially reduce the wildfire risk to their homes and communities by creating defensible space and reducing the fuels around their homes, according to TRPA Partnerships and Communications Officer Kristi Boosman. 

"TRPA considers wildfire a significant threat to lives and property as well as our economy and environment," Boosman said. "Our Governing Board wants to recognize the significant efforts going throughout the Tahoe Basin to manage the threat we face by living in natural fire zone."

Equally important to defensible space, Lake Tahoe Basin agencies are taking coordinated action to reduce wildland fuels to help protect homes and communities. The fire chiefs recognized last week by the TRPA Board are:

North Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Mike Brown

North Tahoe Fire Chief Mike Schwartz

Tahoe Douglas Fire Chief Ben Sharit

City South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Bruce Martin

Forest Service TMU Chief Kit Bailey

CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Mike Webb

CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Troy Adamson

CAL FIRE Division Chief Mary Huggins

Tahoe residents are encouraged to visit LivingWithFire.info/Tahoe or call 530-542-2571 for more information on Wildfire Awareness Week as well as defensible space recommendations around homes and businesses.