Fostering Forests: Fire Ready Truckee Tahoe Ignites Community Action

In July 2025, community partners came together for the first-ever Fire Ready Truckee Tahoe event—a hands-on, family-friendly gathering designed to help residents learn how to prepare their homes, neighborhoods, and forests for wildfire. The event marked an exciting new chapter in regional fire resilience efforts, bringing together more than 40 organizations, including government agencies, the fire district, environmental nonprofits, and local contractors—all united by a shared goal: creating a safer, more resilient Truckee-Tahoe.

As part of the Fostering Forests: Fire Resilience and Stewardship project, Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships (SWEP) joined forces with the Truckee Fire Protection District, the Eastern Regional Firewise Coalition, and the Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe (CATT) to co-host the event. Visitors explored educational booths, learned about defensible space and home hardening, met fire professionals, and discovered ways to take direct action—whether by volunteering, joining a Firewise community, or engaging in home hardening and stewardship projects.

SWEP’s role focused on education and youth engagement—connecting students and families

to the “why” behind wildfire preparedness and showing how everyone can make a difference. Through interactive activities, demonstrations, and student-centered educational outreach, participants learned that fire resilience begins with small, collective steps taken together.

This event was made possible thanks to support from Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation’s (TTCF) Forest Futures and the Martis Fund—a collaborative project of Martis Camp landowners, DMB/Highlands Group (the developers of Martis Camp), Mountain Area Preservation Foundation (MAP), and Sierra Watch. Their generosity helps enhance the quality of life in the Truckee/North Tahoe community by making a positive impact in the areas of Education, Youth Development, Human Services, Recreation and Environment.

The inaugural Fire Ready Truckee Tahoe event is just one of several local initiatives building long-term capacity for wildfire preparedness and environmental stewardship—efforts that SWEP is proud and grateful to help lead. From integrating defensible space work into Truckee River Day to expanding Defensible Space Stewardship Days for lakeside students, SWEP and its partners are helping residents of all ages understand that resilience is both a mindset and a community effort.

Together, we’re fostering forests—and a future—where education, collaboration, and stewardship spread even faster than fire.