ALERT TAHOE
Early Wildfire Detection
for the Tahoe Basin
FIRES DETECTED AND EXTINGUISHED
Introduction
The 2007 Angora fire not only devastated families who lost their homes, but also hurt Tahoe’s economy with an estimated cost of $160 million (not including loss of business during the fire nor the ecological impact on the environment).
AlertTahoe combines innovative technology with on the ground firefighting efforts to protect Lake Tahoe’s communities. It is a system of networked sensors designed to protect the Lake Tahoe Basin from catastrophic wildfires, earthquakes, and other natural hazards.
FIRES DETECTED AND EXTINGUISHED
The System
AlertTahoe, which was a pilot program (initially designed by students!) deploying PTZ cameras and microwave networks in the region surrounding beautiful Lake Tahoe. This initial project was funded through the Nevada Seismological Laboratory (NSL) at UNR, the Tahoe Prosperity Center, the Eldorado National Forest, and the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Tahoe Prosperity Center was the core fundraiser for AlertTahoe private donations. Thanks to the generosity of numerous local funding partners, these cameras have given firefighters the intel needed to stop more than 60 fires in the Tahoe Basin in just a few years!
Invest
Thank you for investing in the AlertTahoe camera system. All 11 Tahoe Basin cameras, plus an additional two cameras are now in our region! What you helped start here has now expanded with more than 600 cameras across the western United States.
See the cameras at the University of Nevada Reno AlertTahoe website.
You can still donate to the AlertTahoe program using the button below, or to the Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation Endowment for AlertTahoe to help ensure they are maintained and in top working condition. And please consider investing in our other important projects like Broadband connectivity, economic diversity, housing and workforce.