High fire danger for Lake Tahoe and Western Nevada

There are extreme fire danger warnings up for Lake Tahoe, the Sierra Nevada and Western Nevada starting on Tuesday, September 11 at 1:00 p.m.

The Lake Wind Advisory will run until 9:00 p.m. Tuesday. Winds will be from the Southwest 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 35 mph. Wave heights will be from one to three feet with highest waves from mid-lake to east shores. Small boats, kayaks and paddle boards will be prone to capsizing and should remain off lake waters until conditions
improve.

A Red Flag Warning will remain in place until 5:00 a.m. Thursday. The Fire Weather Watch has been upgraded. According to the National Weather Service in Reno, this is a particularly dangerous situation.

* Valley Winds...Southwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts 30 to 40 mph.
Strongest winds mainly Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and
evenings.

* Slope and ridge winds...West 25 to 35 mph with gusts 50 to 70
mph. Strongest winds occurring Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

* Humidity...Minimum 10 to 18 percent in the afternoons...Maximum 30 to
40 percent for slopes and ridges overnight.

* Affected Area...Fire Zone 272 Greater Lake Tahoe Area and Fire Zone 273 Mono and Eastern Alpine Counties.

* Duration...4 to 8 hours each afternoon and evening for valley locations. 20 to 36 hours for upper slopes and ridges.

* Impacts...The combination of gusty winds and low humidity can cause fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity before first responders can contain them.

This is a particularly dangerous situation with extremely low humidity and high winds. New fires will grow rapidly out of control, in some cases people may not be able to evacuate safely in time should a fire approach. Avoid outdoor activities that can cause a spark near dry vegetation, such as yard work, target shooting, or campfires. Follow local fire restrictions. Check weather.gov/reno for updates and livingwithfire.info for preparedness tips.