Prescribed burns to continue around Lake Tahoe

North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, the Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service will continue widespread prescribed fire operations around the Lake Tahoe Basin over the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Operations may take place in the following areas:

Ward Canyon near Sunnyside will continue next week if not completed on November 13. Fairway Drive near Tahoe City - 28 acres

Carnelian Woods Avenue in Carnelian Bay - 137 acres
Anaho Road in Crystal Bay, Crosby Court, Jennifer Street and Tyner Way in Incline Village - 4.82 acres
Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park near Spooner Lake - 105 acres
Edgewood Canyon Rd on Kingsbury Grade - 30 acres
Van Sickle Bi-State Park - 35 acres
Ski Run Boulevard near Pioneer Trail - 6 acres
South Upper Truckee Road - 4 acres

Fall and winter bring cooler temperatures and precipitation, which favor prescribed burning. Each prescribed fire 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) will give 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 and environmental conditions.

Agencies coordinate with state and local county air pollution control districts and monitor 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.

Before prescribed fire operations are conducted, agencies post road signs around areas affected by prescribed fire, send email notifications and update the local fire information line at 530-543-2816. To receive prescribed fire notifications, send an email to pa_ltbmu@fs.fed.us. For more information on prescribed fire operations and smoke management tips, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/RxFireOps.