Fire Chief Steve Leighton

December 2023 Update

A Safe and Happy Holiday Wish from Chief Leighton

For a second year in a row, we’ve enjoyed a below average fire season, with early precipitation and no red flag warnings. This allowed us to move out of drought and end fire restrictions earlier than typical years, providing residents a long season of opportunity to burn green waste piles and harden their homes to wildfire.

I’m proud to report that our community members continue engagement in making our communities more Fire Adapted. Our curbside chipping program remained in high demand, with more 3,600 cubic yards of green waste chipped, and we funded green waste dumpsters for organized community work days that resulted in the removal of over 2,000 cubic yards of flammable biomass. We now have 17 recognized Firewise USA® communities. That recognition helps homes in those communities to be eligible for discounts on homeowner’s insurance.

As the snow moves in, we shift our focus from wildfires to safeguarding our homes from winter fires. Protect your family by ensuring smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working now, and test them monthly. Did you know that there are combination alarms on the market now that can alert you to both a natural gas leak, and to a carbon monoxide leak? Natural gas is different from CO because it isn’t a by-product. Instead, natural gas can simply leak into a home because a gas appliance is malfunctioning or a natural gas line is leaking. Natural gas is a fuel and more flammable than carbon monoxide. Give your family the gift of safety and consider upgrading your alarms this winter!

Heating equipment and improper ash disposal are the leading causes of fires during the fall and winter months. To safely dispose of ashes, cool completely on a noncombustible surface before disposing of them (four days or 96 hours is the minimum recommended cooling period). To safely operate heating devices, always plug directly into a wall outlet and never into a surge protector, and maintain three-feet of clearance from anything combustible to keep your home safe.

Stay ahead of snow buildup by keeping gas meters and propane tanks clear, which reduces the chance of leaks, and ensures clear access for gas providers and firefighters should the need arise. Check in on each other, especially those vulnerable neighbors both during and after heavy storm systems, and make a plan with community members now to adopt key hydrants in the neighborhood, setting a rotation to keep them cleared of snow.

From our North Tahoe Fire family to you and yours, we wish you safety, good health, happiness, prosperity, and a new year filled with joyous memories!

All members of the North Tahoe Fire Protection District are here to serve you every hour of every day. If you have any questions regarding the District or the services we provide, please do not hesitate to email me or call me at (530) 583-6911.

Respectfully,

Steve Leighton, Fire Chief

North Tahoe Fire Protection District (NTFPD) was formed in 1993 with the consolidation of the Tahoe City Fire Department (Est. 1941) and North Tahoe Fire (Est. 1957).  NTFPD provides service via contract to the Meeks Bay Fire Protection District (2014), to the community of Alpine Meadows (2006), and provides ambulance transport for the community of Olympic Valley.