Placer County Public Safety Articles

Class on snowpack observation | Sean McAlindin
Are you thinking of heading into the backcountry this winter? If so, you should take an avalanche safety course approved by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) or attend a …

Light Tours of Tahoe
“Light Tours of Tahoe, California + Nevada” has been released detailing 64 backcountry routes in the Tahoe region by guide and avalanche educator Richard Bothwell. The guidebook is accessible to a range of skiers and riders …

Driving in the winter in the mountains presents its own challenges unique to the Tahoe Sierra from knowing how to drive in snowy conditions, when to put chains on your cars and when to stay home, and what to carry …

Courtesy NOAA
Getting your home prepared for winter weather will save you thousands in repairs from broken water pipes and fires by following a few simple tips from FEMA, American Red Cross and Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team. This is …

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – To help keep Tahoe bears wild, the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has issued a new Forest Order that requires the proper storage of food and refuse (garbage) on all National Forest System …

Over the last century, scientists, environmentalists, the U.S. Forest Service, the government, ecologists, firefighters, and Indigenous people have all had different opinions about best logging and forest management practices. Whether that's to help mitigate fire risk, create construction materials, or …

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif.— In an effort to combat wildfires in the region and upgrade systems to top-notch safety standards, Liberty Utilities has unveiled their Wildfire Mitigation and Vegetation Management Plan in the Tahoe/Sierra region. 

NORTHSTAR, Calif. – After two decades of dedicated service to the Northstar Community Services District, General Manager Mike Staudenmayer has announced his retirement effective in December 2024. Staudenmayer made this announcement during the NCSD's monthly Board Meeting, marking the end …

California and 32 other states are suing Instagram’s parent company, Meta, saying that their apps are damaging to children. Is there evidence for those claims? Here’s why social media is under attack.

Kris Kirkland leans over from the hanger bench at the Minden-Tahoe Airport and looks out the open helicopter bay. On clear days, the pilot can see the burn scars from two or three fires in plain sight.

California has more gun laws than any other state. Here's how it took a series of mass shootings to make the state the toughest in the country on guns.

A recent incident in San Francisco spurred the Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Public Utilities Commission to suspend the licenses for Cruise’s driverless cars.

TRUCKEE, Calif. – Chain controls are in effect on Interstate 80 from the Donner Lake Interchange to Kingvale in both directions. "Roads are extremely slick, so slow down and increase your following distance," a Facebook...

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature mental health policies allow the involuntary treatment of more Californians with severe mental illnesses. Some fear the new laws will infringe on the civil liberties of people confined against their will.

When disaster strikes, you’ll need to have these information resources available on your smartphone.

Gov. Newsom just signed a tax on firearms and ammunition, among other new gun control laws. California’s remaining gun manufacturers wonder if they have a future.