Evacuation preparation town hall held in Tahoe as residents watch Maui fire developments
KINGS BEACH -- The Maui fire destruction has evacuations top of mind right now in one of our closer vacation destinations: Lake Tahoe.
Shelby Lynn lives in Kings Beach and is always aware of the high fire danger. She's lived through the panic of evacuations before.
"It's a crazy feeling it feels very tight in your chest," Lynn said.
The Placer County Office of Emergency Services is hosting an evacuation preparation town hall Thursday night. The event had been planned before the Maui fires.
Placer County Supervisor Cindy Gustafson is one of the hosts of the town hall.
"And with the recent events obviously in Maui, and Lahaina, the tragedies we've seen, I think we're getting a lot of attention," Gustafson said.
Gustafson is urging this community to be prepared.
"And then pre-think, 'where will I go, what will I need to do, where will my kids be, where will my husband be,'" Gustafson said.
One of the challenges during past evacuation orders in Lake Tahoe: limited exit routes. There are only six roads leading out of Lake Tahoe. During the Caldor Fire that led to gridlock.
Gustafson says it was a concerning picture.
"When we have to take control of the roads I have absolutely every confidence in our law enforcement that they will make sure those in danger get out as quickly as possible," Gustafson said.
There are 15 million visitors to Lake Tahoe every year. Getting evacuation messages to them is another challenge.
Placer County has teamed up with hotels and short-term rental owners to coordinate evacuation alerts.
"Well we've been working on that very diligently," Gustafson said.
Preparing for the unpredictable, in Lake Tahoe. Not if wildfires will strike, but when.
That town hall meeting is at the North Tahoe Event Center Thursday from 6-8 p.m. People can watch the meeting at this link.
