Prepare Your Business. Protect Your People. Be Ready to Evacuate.
Wildfire preparedness is part of living and doing business in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Conditions can change quickly, and planning ahead can help protect employees, families, property and business operations.
Tahoe Chamber has gathered resources to help South Shore businesses and community members prepare before an emergency, respond when wildfire threatens and recover afterward.
Clear 30–100 feet. Give the flames no place to eat. Establish and maintain defensible space around your property to reduce available fuels and provide room for fire suppression activities.
Book your smoke guy in advance — after the fire, there’s no second chance. Businesses should identify and establish a relationship with a qualified smoke-remediation vendor before an emergency occurs.
When you’re rolling out, don’t dial — send a text, it goes the extra mile. During an evacuation, text your designated out-of-area contact with your route and destination. Text messages may get through congested networks when calls do not.
The grid goes dark, the towers fry: keep cash, a map, and a power supply. Keep cash in small bills, printed maps, flashlights, batteries, portable power banks and important phone numbers available. Power outages can affect ATMs, card readers, cellular towers and navigation apps.
Check your limits, valuation method, and deductible too — before the order comes for you. Review your insurance coverage before wildfire season. Understand your policy limits, deductibles, valuation and applicable coverage, and keep your insurance contact information accessible.
Preparing before wildfire season can help protect your employees, property and business operations. Establish defensible space, maintain emergency supplies, train employees, develop communication and evacuation plans, and identify critical vendors before an emergency occurs.
If wildfire threatens, be prepared to activate your emergency plan, communicate with employees and evacuate when directed by local officials. After a wildfire, return only when officials determine it is safe, assess and document damage, and contact appropriate emergency, utility and insurance resources.
Gallagher’s Business Wildfire Preparedness Checklist provides detailed guidance for preparing your facility and employees before, during and after a wildfire, including evacuation planning, fire safety, emergency supplies and business recovery.
Preparing your household before wildfire season can make evacuation faster and safer. Create go-bags, sign up for emergency alerts, identify multiple evacuation routes, prepare for children and pets, and keep medications, important documents and insurance information accessible.
Your go-bag should contain the essentials your household may need if you have to leave quickly, including identification and documents, medications, food and water, protective clothing, emergency supplies, backup power and necessities for pets or family members needing additional assistance.
When an evacuation order is issued, leave as directed by local emergency officials and prioritize people, medications, essential documents, pets and your prepared go-bags. After a wildfire, return only when officials confirm it is safe, document property damage before cleanup and contact your insurance carrier promptly.
Gallagher’s Personal Wildfire Evacuation Pack List provides a comprehensive checklist covering household preparation, what to pack, evacuation steps and what to consider after a wildfire.
Lake Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Interactive maps, projects and Basin-wide wildfire mitigation information
Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team
Wildfire preparedness, defensible space, prescribed fire and fire-adapted community resources
Tahoe Resource Conservation District (https://tahoercd.org/)
Local conservation and wildfire resilience resources
Local Emergency Alerts
Sign up for the appropriate California or Nevada emergency alert system for your home and workplace:
Gallagher Business Wildfire Preparedness Checklist
A comprehensive resource to help businesses prepare before, during and after a wildfire.
Gallagher Personal Wildfire Evacuation Pack List
A household preparedness, evacuation and go-bag checklist.
PREPARE BEFORE YOU NEED THE PLAN.
Wildfire preparedness is a shared responsibility. Taking steps today to prepare your property, employees, household and evacuation plan can help you respond more quickly and safely when wildfire threatens.
Tahoe Chamber | Building a resilient and connected South Shore business community.