Wildfire in the Lake Tahoe Basin – South Tahoe Public Utility District Disaster Response

On June 24, 2007 a wildland urban interface fire swept through portions of South Lake Tahoe charring 3100 acres and destroying 254 homes. South Tahoe Public Utility District (District) personnel worked 24 hours a day to keep water flowing to the fire fighters tasked with extinguishing the blaze. In addition to the immediate task of water distribution, the District learned many lessons on how to effectively and efficiently integrate with the National Incident Command System (NIMS) to better respond to an emergency. After the fire was controlled, there were many tasks required to mitigate potential infrastructure damage, minimize environmental concerns, and secure reimbursement funds. These and many other lessons were learned concerning disaster response that are directly applicable to other public agencies and districts.