Prescribed fire operations continue next week around Lake Tahoe

Several different areas around the Lake Tahoe basin have been tapped for continued fire operations.

Over 700 acres will be burned north of Tahoma near Elizabeth Drive, southwest of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and Gardner Street, Christmas Valley, Luther Pass near Grass Lake, and Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly. On the East Shore, operations may take place near Logan Creek Drive and off Highway 28 north of Spooner Summit.

Operations will last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Cooler temperatures and precipitation favor prescribed burning so fall and winter are the best seasons to conduct the operatiosn. Each operation follows a prescribed fire burn plan, which considers temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, and conditions for the dispersal of smoke. This information is used to decide when and where to burn. The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT ) gives as much advance notice as possible before burning, but some operations may be conducted on short notice.

Smoke from prescribed fire operations is normal and may continue for several days after an ignition depending on the project size. Agencies coordinate with state and local county air pollution control districts and monitors weather conditions closely prior to prescribed fire ignition. They wait for favorable conditions that will carry smoke up and out of the Basin. Crews also conduct test burns before igniting a larger area, to verify how effectively fuels are consumed how smoke will travel.