Truckee • Lake Tahoe • Reno • The Sierra & Northern Nevada
Wildfire Preparedness & Emergency Resources
Living in the Sierra and western Nevada means being prepared for wildfire before an emergency begins. This page brings together official emergency alerts, evacuation information, active-fire resources, defensible-space programs and home-hardening guidance for communities throughout the region — from the Northern Sierra through Truckee and Lake Tahoe to El Dorado County, Carson Valley and surrounding areas.
This is a planning resource, not a live incident or evacuation feed. Follow current orders and official updates. Call 911 for an immediate threat to life; do not delay leaving to gather belongings.
Find wildfire resources where you live
Local alerts, evacuation maps and wildfire guidance.
TahoeAlerts helps residents and visitors enter an address and find the appropriate local alert system around Lake Tahoe, including participating California and Nevada counties and communities. It is a locator for local alert systems, not a replacement for official evacuation orders.
Start with the county, city or fire district serving the property address. Add alert registrations for home, work, school and any other place your household regularly spends time.
Northern Sierra — California
Plumas County
Truckee / North Tahoe — California
Nevada County / Truckee
South Tahoe / Central Sierra — California
El Dorado County
Alpine County
Western / Northern Nevada
Washoe County / Reno / Sparks / Incline
Storey County
Douglas County / Carson Valley
For active emergencies, follow the issuing county, sheriff, fire district or law-enforcement agency. Some rural counties use alert systems without publishing a separate evacuation-zone map; where no current official map was verified, this page points visitors to the official county alert or emergency-management source instead.
Active conditions
Fire, smoke and weather maps to check during fire season.
Use these regional and statewide tools for situational awareness, then follow county alerts and evacuation orders for official local instructions.
Active fires
Check statewide and federal incident information before travel or when smoke appears nearby.
Smoke and air quality
Use smoke and air-quality maps to understand where smoke is moving and when outdoor activity may be unsafe.
Weather and fire cameras
Track red-flag conditions, wind, lightning risk and regional camera views when conditions are changing quickly.
Prepare to leave
Wildfire Go-Bag Checklist
Pack ahead, keep supplies accessible and tailor the kit for children, pets and anyone with mobility, medical or communication needs. Make a transport and meeting plan with your household.
- Food and water, medications and essential personal supplies.
- Phone charging, light, radio and spare batteries.
- Keys, identification and securely held copies of important documents.
- Clothing, sturdy footwear, pet supplies and your household’s evacuation plan.
Download Wildfire Go-Bag Checklist (PDF)
Official CAL FIRE checklist · approximately 10 MB · opens in a new tab. You can also use the accessible go-bag web guide.
University of Nevada, Reno: printable evacuation checklist · CAL FIRE evacuation guide
Keep personal records with you or in your own secure storage. Do not send identity, banking or medical records to this website.
Reduce risk before fire season
Use the local fire district, then the state guidance.
Defensible-space inspections, chipping, vegetation-management requirements and home-hardening programs vary by address. Start with the fire district or county resource above, then use these broader guides.
California defensible space
CAL FIRE’s Ready for Wildfire guidance explains defensible-space zones, home hardening and evacuation preparation.
CAL FIRE defensible-space guidance
CAL FIRE home-hardening guidance
Tahoe fire districts
Use the Tahoe Living With Fire district locator when you are not sure which agency serves a specific Lake Tahoe address.
Nevada defensible-space contacts
Fire Adapted Nevada maintains defensible-space inspection contacts and community wildfire-preparedness resources.
Work with your neighbors.
Firewise and fire-adapted-community programs help neighborhoods coordinate defensible space, evacuation planning and shared fuel-reduction priorities. Start with your fire district, county OES or the Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities.
Statewide and active-fire resources
Check fire restrictions, incidents and regional preparedness guides.
Nevada Division of Forestry
Preparedness, community wildfire protection, fire restrictions and incident information for Nevada communities.
Fire Adapted Nevada
Defensible-space, home-hardening and community wildfire-resilience resources for Nevada residents.
Living With Fire
University Extension and regional preparedness guidance for homes, neighborhoods and evacuation planning across Nevada fire country.
These statewide resources complement, but do not replace, your county alert signup and local evacuation instructions.
Insurance, when you’re ready
Need help reviewing the insurance side?
Donner Pass Insurance Services helps households across Truckee, Tahoe, Reno, Sparks and Northern Nevada understand their property coverage. Insurance does not replace an evacuation plan or wildfire preparation.
Resource links checked September 17, 2026. Agency guidance and programs can change; confirm current information directly with the linked organization. These resources do not establish insurance eligibility or guarantee coverage.