Chief's Message

Welcome to the new Lake Valley Fire Protection District website, and thank you for visiting.

Whether you live here year-round, own a second home, or are visiting the Tahoe basin, we built this site to help you quickly find what you need: how to prepare your property for wildfire, how to request an inspection, how to reach us, and what your District is working on.

I've spent 31 years in the fire service, and I became Fire Chief of Lake Valley in December 2025. I may be relatively new here, but Lake Valley Fire is not. The District has served this community since 1947. For more than 75 years, generations of firefighters and community members have built it into what it is today. Lake Valley Fire is part of this community, and I take seriously the responsibility to carry that tradition forward.

A fire district is only as good as its people. From our two stations, the men and women of Lake Valley Fire respond around the clock to medical emergencies, fires, vehicle accidents, rescues, and wildfires. Many of them live here and raise their families here. They train hard, they look out for each other, and they take care of their neighbors. I'm proud to serve alongside them.

Wildfire is the biggest risk where we live. Every season, our Prevention and Fuels Division works to reduce hazardous fuels, inspect properties, and help homeowners create defensible space. Most of the work that protects a neighborhood happens before a fire ever starts, and it takes all of us. Please use the resources on this site, sign up for emergency alerts, and know your evacuation routes.

We're also committed to being a well-run, transparent public agency. Our Board of Directors meets in public, Board agendas and budget documents are posted here, and we welcome your questions. Emergencies don't stop at jurisdictional lines, so we work closely with our partners, including Cal Tahoe EMS, CAL FIRE, USFS, Fallen Leaf Lake Fire, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue, TRPA, and El Dorado County.

If you have a question, an idea, or a concern, please reach out. Our doors are open, and our job is to serve you.

Stay safe,

John McNamara

Fire Chief

Lake Valley Fire Protection District