Tahoe Truckee Region Local News: Public Safety


All Local Public Safety News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: A Pyrocumulus cloud generated by the Dixie Fire in July, 2021.
What is Fire 'Containment?' That and Other Terms, Explained

What does it mean when firefighters call a fire "contained?" Here's a brief guide to commonly used fire prevention terminology.

Image caption: Many of Robert Kerbeck’s neighbors in Malibu Park lost their homes in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which left behind lots where only chimneys still stood.
Give Your Home a Fighting Chance in a Wildfire

California wildfires are becoming larger, more frequent and more ferocious. ‘Malibu Burning’ author Robert Kerbeck shares simple steps you can take to protect your home.

Image caption: With CERT training, volunteers can learn firefighting skills.
Emergency Teamwork

Fires, floods, earthquakes—California’s got it all. And CERT volunteers are ready to step in.

Image caption: Thousands of homeowners have been kicked off their fire insurance policies.
California Fire Insurance Crisis: How the State Helps Homeowners

As California insurance companies have revoked the fire policies of thousands of homeowners, the state has taken steps to get them covered again.

Image caption: Though it’s the most famous, the San Andreas Fault is just one of more than 500 active faults in California.
Battening Down for the Big One

Making it through the earthquake is the easy part. The hard part is surviving in the chaos that follows.

Image caption: Supercell storms are just one of many weather phenomena in the era of climate change.
The New Vocabulary of the Climate Change Era

The climate change era has created a whole new set of terms for a wide variety of storms and other weather phenomena. Here are some of the most important.

Image caption:
How Not to Feel the Burn

California residents can turn to these public and private entities to help prepare for wildfires and protect their property.

Image caption: There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained

Community service districts can do most anything a city government can do. Here’s how they work and how to start one.

Image caption: Mosquitos kill about 725,000 people every year, worldwide.
Taking a Bite Out of the Mosquito Population

The pesky mosquito can be deadly as well as annoying. Here’s how local governments in California have been waging war on mosquitoes for more than a century.

Image caption: California will soon be getting a new hotline number as an alternative to 911 for mental health crises.
988, the New Mental Health Emergency Number, Explained

California will soon add a new emergency hotline service with the number 988. Here’s the story behind that new service, and the original 911 number.

Image caption: States have expansive powers to protect the health of the general public.
The State’s Broad Power to Protect Public Health, Explained

Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, states have possessed broad authority to protect public health, even to suspend laws and commandeer private property. Here’s why, and how it works.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

05/19/2025
Image for display with article titled Home Hardening, Insurance Rates, and Building Better for Wildfires: TTCF’s Lunch and Learn

n their latest Lunch and Learn, the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF) invited three speakers to talk about wildfire risk mitigation for homes in the region. They touched on what homeowners could do to protect their homes, how cross-laminated timber could potentially help new builds resist fire, and communicating with insurance companies that keep raising prices in fire-prone areas.

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05/19/2025
Image for display with article titled Tahoe Forest Health System Launches Free Medication and Sharps Disposal Programs

Tahoe Forest Health System announced a new partnership with MED-Project to offer two vital, free disposal programs designed to protect public health, promote environmental safety, and make responsible medication and sharps disposal easier than ever.

Tahoe Guide logo From Tahoe Guide...

05/18/2025
Image for display with article titled Getting Right With Fire: 2025 Tahoe Sierra Fire Season Update

Tahoe Guide spoke with local, statewide and national wildfire experts, along with naturalist Obi Kaufmann to paint a perspective of fire in the Tahoe Sierra.

California Local Pin Marker From The Union...

05/13/2025
In a presentation to Nevada County supervisors, a CalFire fire chief said the three or four month fire season of the past was now "passe" as his department is making staffing plans for a 12-month fire season.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

05/10/2025
Image for display with article titled Prosser Firewise to Host Wildfire Education Day for Local Homeowners

With wildfire season fast approaching, Prosser Firewise is inviting residents of Prosser Lakeview and Prosser Woods Estates to attend a neighborhood Firewise Education Day on Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 11526 Ida Way in Truckee.

California Local Pin Marker From CapPublicRadio...

05/09/2025
A conversation with State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant about the new fire hazard maps and how local communities are preparing for widfires.

California Local Pin Marker From The Sacramento Bee...

05/09/2025
As the warm weather season begins, a warning to beware of jumping into lakes, rivers and streams.

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo From Tahoe Daily Tribune...

05/08/2025
Image for display with article titled Hazardous Fuels Reduction Treatments Begin Near Meyers

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is scheduled to begin hazardous fuels reduction mastication treatments in Meyers near the Pioneer Trail and U.S. Highway 50 intersection the week of May 12, 2025. These operations will target ground vegetation and brush, primarily manzanita and will not target any trees.

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05/06/2025
Image for display with article titled Fireside Pizza Raises $16,000 for the Olympic Valley Fire Department

Fireside Pizza announces that they will donate $16,000 to the Olympic Valley Fire Department. Fireside has been fundraising for local non-profits for over a decade. Each year, the team at Fireside selects a new local non-profit to partner with. Fireside Pizza and OVFD partnered to sell pizza slices from Fireside's pizza cart.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/06/2025
As the Los Angeles fires raged in January, about 1,000 inmate firefighters labored on hand crews alongside professional firefighters battling the blazes.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/05/2025
Ryan Matlock died of a fentanyl overdose after seeking addiction treatment. Today, his mother is urging lawmakers to get tougher on health insurance plans.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

05/03/2025
Image for display with article titled Get Defensive During Wildfire Preparedness Week

Lake Tahoe fire and forestry agencies are inviting the community to Get Defensive during Lake Tahoe Wildfire Preparedness Week from May 5 through 10. The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) is a partnership of local, regional, state, and federal organizations helping host a week of events around the lake to kick off a summer of wildfire preparedness.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

05/02/2025
Image for display with article titled Tahoe Donner Association Signs Landmark Wildfire Insurance Policy Tied to Forest Management

In a groundbreaking move that could reshape wildfire insurance nationwide, the Tahoe Donner Association has secured a first-of-its-kind policy that links premium pricing directly to decades of active forest management.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

04/29/2025
Image for display with article titled Sierra Region Delegation Calls for Restoration of Federal Forest Service Funding

On Friday, April 18, 2025, elected officials and agency leaders from across the Sierra region, including representatives from the Town of Truckee, Nevada City, Grass Valley, Town of Mammoth Lakes, and multiple special districts, met with Congressman Kevin Kiley in Rocklin to advocate for the reinstatement of federal funding for forest health and wildfire mitigation efforts.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/29/2025
A California law empowers state investigators to check on conditions at ICE detention centers. A new report raises concerns about health care inside them.

California Local Pin Marker From Monterey Herald...

04/28/2025
Residents living near farms can now sign up to be alerted when pesticides will be applied by the a new system recently launched by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/28/2025
Groups that support California crime victims and attempt to reduce gun violence lost millions of dollars in grants when the Trump administration pulled funding.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

04/27/2025
Image for display with article titled Town of Truckee Proclaims May 2025 as Wildfire Awareness Month

At the Town Council meeting on April 22, Mayor Jan Zabriskie officially proclaimed May 2025 as Wildfire Awareness Month, reaffirming the Town of Truckee's commitment to wildfire prevention, mitigation, and safety in its vulnerable mountain community. The proclamation emphasizes the extreme threat posed by wildfire across California and the critical role the Truckee community plays in fostering resilience ahead of fire season.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

04/27/2025
Image for display with article titled Chief’s Corner–Living in the Wildland-Urban Interface: What It Means and How to Stay Safe

Have you ever heard the term WUI and wondered what it means? The Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) refers to areas where human-made structures and infrastructure; homes, neighborhoods, and roads are located near or within natural areas such as the forests that surround us and the Lake Tahoe Basin. These areas are naturally vulnerable to wildfires because of the proximity between flammable vegetation and human development.